Yet two other MlAs belonging to the ruling BJD were appointed as District Planning Committee Chairmen on Monday. With this, 11 BJD MlAs have been appointed as DPC chiefs within a month’s time.
The two MlAs who were appointed with approval from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are Nimapada MlA Samir Ranjan Das as Puri DPC chief and Udala MlA Golak Nayak as Mayurbhanj DPC chief.
As per the amended Odisha Offices of Profit Act, 1961, the DPCs will enjoy status of Minister of State (MoS).
The nine MlAs who were earlier DPC Chairpersons are Balabhadra Majhi, Susant Singh, Nursingha Charan Sahu, Prasant Kumar Mudili, Ramesh Chandra Choupatnaik, Hrushikesh Naik, Manohar Randharao, Sashi Bhusan Behera and Mahesh Sahu. Notably, the State Cabinet had on January 16 approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Offices of Profit (removal of disqualification) Act, 1961, which paves the way for MlAs to head DPCs.