Usha Devi from Ganjam inducted as a Cabinet Minister

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reshuffled his two-year-old ministry, inducting five new ministers and redistributing the portfolios. Four time legislator from Chikiti constituency of Ganjam District and a resident of Berhampur city, Usha Devi found place in the Ministry. This led to celebrations in her hometown Berhampur with supporters celebrating with sweets and crackers. She took oath as a Cabinet Minister and got the Textiles and Handloom portfolio along with Science and Technology. In the first major reshuffle of the BJD government in its third term induction of Usha Devi was near certain with her name floating in the media circles for quite some time. Apart from a woman and senior legislator she belongs to the Chikiti royal family. A Journalism Graduate, she had earlier held the position of Senate member of Berhampur University and President of Women’s Cooperative Bank, Berhampur. Another resident of Berhampur and a senior cabinet minister in the Orissa Government, Mr Surjya Narayan Patro also got the additional charge of Information and Public Relations in the reshuffle, besides Revenue and Disaster Management portfolio which he held. Mr Bikram Keshri Arukh, another cabinet minister from Ganjam District retained his portfolios of Law and Rural Development. While some circles have put that Ganjam has been a major gainer in the ministry reshuffle but the reaction was mixed among the people. Prior to this reshuffle Ganjam District had three Cabinet Ministers including the Chief Minister but this did not lead to any significant development of the District in general and Berhampur city in particular.  While Ganjam has always been a politically important District in Orissa yet its development leaves much to be desired and hence the enthusiasm of another cabinet minister’s inclusion was rather subdued among the public.