Higher Education Minister Rohit Pujari was dropped from the Cabinet for worst performance

Bhubaneswar: 9/6/23:The Secretary of Higher Education Department, Bishnupada Sethi was also transferred and appointed as OSD (Officer on Special Duty) of General Administration department.

Aravind Agrawal, Director of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development Department, has replaced Sethi as secretary of Higher Education Department.

The development came hours after the Higher Education Minister Rohit Pujari was dropped from the Cabinet. Pujari was reportedly excluded from the Ministry due to poor performance in the department.

According to a notification issued by the General Administration department,  Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary of Finance Department has been given additional of Odisha Hydro Power Corporation Ltd.

The additional appointment of Bishnupada Sethi as Chairman of Odisha Hydro Power Corporation Ltd. shall stand terminated from the date Dev takes over.

Likewise, Aravind Agrawal, Director of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development Department with additional Charge of Managing Director, Mahila Vikas Samabaya Nigam and Director, Rural Development has been appointed as Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Higher Education Department

Notably, 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.