Former Union Minister Srikant Jena on Friday alleged that the Naveen Patnaik-led Ministry is incomplete and violates the Constitution.
Addressing a Press meet here, Jena said non-appointment of a Cabinet Minister for the ST and SC Development Department has violated the provision 164 of the Constitution.
Notably, the portfolio has been allocated to Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jagannath Saraka.
Jena demanded that the Chief Minister tender an apology to the ST and SC communities as he has not given the portfolio to a Cabinet Minister.
“Now, the Chief Minister has a option with him to give the ST and SC Development portfolio to a Cabinet Minister. Otherwise, the Governor should convene a fresh swearing-in ceremony to comply with the provision 164 of the Constitution,” he argued.
A Minister of State (I/C) can’t attend a Cabinet meeting unless he or she is invited and, thus, he or she has least chance to take part in policy-making, he pointed out.
He also questioned the rationality of the Government in according a Minister of State portfolio (Home) to a Cabinet Minister earlier.