BJD MLAs tasked to keep strict watch on govt functioning

Bhubaneswar : The Biju Janata Dal president, Naveen Patnaik, has entrusted party MLAs with the task to keep a strict watch on the functioning of various departments and raise their voice in the Assembly if they come across any irregularities by the Bharatiya Janata Party government.

“The following departments are allotted to the Hon’ble MLAs of BJD for close monitoring, Assembly interventions and other issues relating to the departments,” read a letter issued by the party on Wednesday.

The Revenue and Disaster Management department will be monitored by former minister and Athgarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain, while senior leader and former speaker Pramila Mallik will watch the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water and Parliamentary Affairs departments. Ghasipura MLA Badri Narayan Patra will monitor the Women and Child Development department.

Similarly, Niranjan Pujari will monitor activities related to the Home and Food Supplies & Consumer Affairs departments, while senior leader Pratap Keshari Deb will watch the General Administration and Public Grievances department.

Braja Kishore Pradhan, Prasanna Acharya and Arun Kumar Sahoo have been asked to monitor the functioning of the Health & Family Welfare, Finance & Public Enterprises and Water Resources departments, respectively.

Stating that Opposition works as a watchdog for public interest in a democracy, the BJD said that by keeping a close watch on the performance of various departments of the State government and actively participating in the discussions related to them in the Assembly, it can help protect the rights of the people of the State. Patnaik has for the first time become the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly.

The first session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly is scheduled to commence on July 22 with Governor Raghubar Das’s address. The budget for the 2024-25 fiscal will be presented on July 25.

The BJP has formed the government in the State by winning 78 seats in the 147-member Assembly, while the BJD bagged 51 seats, the Congress 14, the CPI (M) one. Three Independent candidates also emerged victorious.