Patnaik appoints senior leaders as party observers

BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, before reshuffling his three-year-old ministry, has restructured the party by appointing nine senior leaders as observers for 11 different districts.
The five ministers who resigned today were appointed as party observers for different districts last night, a release issued by the BJD said.
Sanjay Dasburma, who resigned from the ministry today, was made a general secretary (youth affairs)and put in charge of two tribal dominated districts like Nabarangpur and Rayagada.
Similarly, Arun Sahoo was made a general secretary (students affair). He was made the observer of tribal dominated Mayurbhanj district.
Patnaik's close confidant Pranab Prakash Das was made a general secretary and put in charge of tribal dominated Malkangiri and Koraput districts.

Pradeep Panigrahi, a general secretary, has been put in charge of Gajapati district.

Debi Prasad Mishra was elevated to the post of vice president from the rank of a general secretary. He was also appointed as the observer for Sambalpur district, considered as a strong hold of BJP.
In addition, MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, a general secretary, was appointed as the observer for Balasore district.
Kishore Mohanty, a general secretary, was put in charge of Sonepur district.
MLA Prafulla Samal was appointed as the observer for Jagatsinghpur district.
The BJD spokesman and vice president S N Patro was appointed as the observer for Bolangir district, another strong hold of opposition BJP.

"I am grateful to those ministers who have resigned voluntarily to work for the party," Patnaik told reporters here.