Bhubaneswar: Rohit Pujari, who was dropped from the council of ministers, today said he didn’t regret over the decision of the Chief Minister.
In his first reaction over his exclusion from the State Cabinet as Higher Education Minister, Pujari said the CM probably expected more from him which he couldn’t give.
“I have given my best efforts. The Chief Minister probably expected more from me. I didn’t regret over the decision to exclude me. I have done sincerely whatever had been assigned to me. The CM had blessed me a lot in the past. I would learn more from him in the days to come. I would discharge my duty what he would assign me,” Pujari said.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recommended Governor Ganeshi Lal to exclude Pujari’s name from the ministry. The CM also assigned the Higher Education department to food and supplies minister Atanu Sabysachi Nayak.
Sources said during a review of various departments between May 22 and June 2, Patnaik found that the higher education department’s performance was the worst.
A lawmaker from Rairakhol, Pujari was inducted in June last year.
In May, the chief minister had made a minior reshuffle in the Cabinet. The school and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash and labour minister Srikant Sahoo had been asked to resign. Two new ministers, Sudam Marndi and Sarada Prasad Nayak, were inducted in place of Dash and Sahoo.
B K Arukha, who had resigned from the post of Speaker, was also inducted in the Cabinet and given finance portfolio.
Pujari, a prominent leader from the state’s western region, was recently in the news after he said politicians above 60 years should remain away from politics.
