Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday appointed senior Biju Janata Dal leader and former Minister Sanjay Dasburma as the Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board.
Dasburma, who was given a Cabinet Minister rank in his new post, said he would ensure the State Planning Board is revamped so that it would work effectively. He would discuss with the Chief Minister about a restructuring of the board.
With his new assignment, the speculations that Dasburma, who had unsuccessfully contested from his Brahmagiri Assembly constituency in the last polls, would be rehabilitated as a Rajya Sabha member have come to an end, say political observers.
In another development on the day, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik named MLAs Byomakesh Ray, Muktikanta Mandal, Sanjib Kumar Mallick and Susant Kumar Rout as party observers for Mayurbhanj district.
Byomakesh was given charge of Karanjia and Jashipur while Muktikanta was appointed as observer of Rairangpur and Saraskana constituencies. Sanjib was given the charge for Udala and Badasahi constituencies while Susant was made observer for Baripada and Morada.