BJD appoints 36 general secretaries
BJD chief and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik
BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Thursday named 36 senior leaders, including ministers, MLAs and MPs as party general secretaries, while giving specific responsibilities to each of them.
Two ministers, Susanta Singh and Jagannath Saraka, 13 MLAs and two MPs, Rajashree Mallick and Sasmit Patra, are among the 36 leaders, who have been given organizational charges as per the new appointments. The general secretaries have been given responsibilities like being made the in-charge of various initiatives like Sashakta Odisha (empowered Odisha), Odisha-Mo Parivar, schedule caste empowerment, tribal empowerment, minority affairs, social welfare, art, culture and human resources development, regional development, environment, students affair, youths affairs, women empowerment and media affairs.
Recently, the party has appointed eight senior vice-presidents, nine vice-presidents and 15 senior general secretaries and given them specific responsibilities. Giving specific responsibilities to leaders holding organizational posts is a new practise by the regional party.
“We are planning to strengthen BJD as a cadre-based party with the involvement of all leaders. The leadership would soon issue detailed responsibilities to all leaders holding organizational positions,” said a senior BJD leader.
BJD sources said it would soon appoint a list of secretaries and leaders for frontal organizations like women, youth, students, farmers and labour wing. Many young MLAs are in the race to lead the women, youth and students wings of the regional party.
The formation of a jumbo team of the party with specific responsibilities is also believed to be an attempt to accommodate maximum leaders in party organization so that no one feels neglected, said party insiders.
Though political activities have come to a standstill in the state due to the Covid-19 pandemic, party sources said the political activities is likely to start from October keeping in mind the panchayat and urban local body elections and by-elections to two assembly seats.