Council of mins meet today, suspense over CM’s announcement

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will preside over a meeting of the council of ministers to mark the completion of four years of his fifth consecutive term in office on Monday. Sources said the chief minister is likely to make an announcement after the meeting of the council of ministers. Speculation is rife the chief minister may opt for early Assembly elections in the state to separate it from the Lok Sabha polls scheduled in May 2024.

Knowledgeable sources in the government pointed out the chief minister may also make an announcement on the extent to which the state government has been able to implement the 2019 election manifesto of BJD. In the meeting of the first council of ministers after taking oath on May 29, 2019, the manifesto was discussed and accepted to be implemented.

The chief minister has reviewed the performance of all the departments in light of the BJD manifesto during the last one week. He skipped several important events at New Delhi including the Niti Aayog’s governing council meeting on May 27 and the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday.  The chief minister had opted for early polls in 2004 to tag it along with the Lok Sabha elections. The BJD then was in an alliance with the BJP in Odisha.

Meanwhile, as a pre-poll exercise, the Revenue and Disaster Management department has asked the district collectors to submit a list of officers working in their respective jurisdictions and those who have completed three years in their present post. In a letter, the additional secretary of the department has asked the collectors to submit the list by the end of the month.

“You are requested to submit the name of the OAS-A (JB)/ORS Group B officers in the prescribed format enclosed who are posted in his/her home district and the officers who have completed three years during last four years or would be completing 3 years in the district on or before the last day of the fifth month during which the house is going to expire,” the letter said.

<br /> BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will preside over a meeting of the council of ministers to mark the completion of four years of his fifth consecutive term in office on Monday. Sources said the chief minister is likely to make an announcement after the meeting of the council of ministers. Speculation is rife the chief minister may opt for early Assembly elections in the state to separate it from the Lok Sabha polls scheduled in May 2024.</p> <p>Knowledgeable sources in the government pointed out the chief minister may also make an announcement on the extent to which the state government has been able to implement the 2019 election manifesto of BJD. In the meeting of the first council of ministers after taking oath on May 29, 2019, the manifesto was discussed and accepted to be implemented.</p> <p>The chief minister has reviewed the performance of all the departments in light of the BJD manifesto during the last one week. He skipped several important events at New Delhi including the Niti Aayog’s governing council meeting on May 27 and the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday.  The chief minister had opted for early polls in 2004 to tag it along with the Lok Sabha elections. The BJD then was in an alliance with the BJP in Odisha.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p><div class='ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-viewport-2 ai-insert-3-64691979' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;' data-insertion-position='prepend' data-selector='.ai-insert-3-64691979' data-insertion-no-dbg data-code='PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0nY29kZS1ibG9jayBjb2RlLWJsb2NrLTMnIHN0eWxlPSdtYXJnaW46IDhweCAwOyBjbGVhcjogYm90aDsnPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly9wYWdlYWQyLmdvb2dsZXN5bmRpY2F0aW9uLmNvbS9wYWdlYWQvanMvYWRzYnlnb29nbGUuanM/Y2xpZW50PWNhLXB1Yi05OTQwMTU0NzcxMjczNjAyIgogICAgIGNyb3Nzb3JpZ2luPSJhbm9ueW1vdXMiPjwvc2NyaXB0Pgo8IS0tIEhvcml6b250YWwgcmVzcG9uc2l2ZSAtLT4KPGlucyBjbGFzcz0iYWRzYnlnb29nbGUiCiAgICAgc3R5bGU9ImRpc3BsYXk6YmxvY2siCiAgICAgZGF0YS1hZC1jbGllbnQ9ImNhLXB1Yi05OTQwMTU0NzcxMjczNjAyIgogICAgIGRhdGEtYWQtc2xvdD0iMzA1Nzg0NDM4NyIKICAgICBkYXRhLWFkLWZvcm1hdD0iYXV0byIKICAgICBkYXRhLWZ1bGwtd2lkdGgtcmVzcG9uc2l2ZT0idHJ1ZSI+PC9pbnM+CjxzY3JpcHQ+CiAgICAgKGFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlID0gd2luZG93LmFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlIHx8IFtdKS5wdXNoKHt9KTsKPC9zY3JpcHQ+PC9kaXY+Cg==' data-block='3'></div> <p>Meanwhile, as a pre-poll exercise, the Revenue and Disaster Management department has asked the district collectors to submit a list of officers working in their respective jurisdictions and those who have completed three years in their present post. In a letter, the additional secretary of the department has asked the collectors to submit the list by the end of the month.</p> <p>“You are requested to submit the name of the OAS-A (JB)/ORS Group B officers in the prescribed format enclosed who are posted in his/her home district and the officers who have completed three years during last four years or would be completing 3 years in the district on or before the last day of the fifth month during which the house is going to expire,” the letter said.<br />