Odisha FM Niranjan Pujari Appointed New Health Minister After Naba Kishore Das Death

Odisha finance minister Niranjan Pujari has been allotted the Health and Family welfare department after his predecessor Naba Kishore Das succumbed to a bullet injury on Sunday.

New Delhi: Odisha finance minister Niranjan Pujari has been given the additional charge of the Department of Health and Family Welfare after the demise of his predecessor Naba Kishore Das on Sunday.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office confirmed the appointment and said, "With approval of governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, chief minister Naveen Patnaik allocated health and family welfare department to finance minister Niranjan Pujari."

Notably, Niranjan Oujari also holds charge of the parliamentary affairs department. He is a five-time BJD MLA who has been winning elections since the regional party fought the assembly poll for the first time in 2000, according to a report.

Pujari is a lawyer-turned politician, and has never faced electoral defeats in his career.

Nana Kishore Das's Death

In a shocking tragedy, Odisha's Health and Family Welfare minister Naba Kishore Das was shot in the chest in the Brajarajnagar area of Jharsuguda district on Sunday. He later succumbed to the bullet injury.

Expressing condolence over the minister’s death, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “He was an asset for both the Govt and the party. His death is a great loss to the State of Odisha.”

The incident took place at Brajrajnagar, Jharsuguda district, as the minister was on his way to an event at Gandhi Chowk. Sources said that assistant sub-inspector of Police (ASI) Gopal Das allegedly shot at Das as he was getting out of his automobile.

Odisha governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many other dignitaries  paid their tributes to deceased minister Naba Kishore Das on Monday.

Later, the minister’s body was taken to the Biju Janata Dal party office where hundreds of people waited in a queue to pay their last respects to the leader. His body would be flown to his native place in Jharsuguda where his last rites will be performed with full state honour, BJD vice president Debi Prasad Mishra said, quoted by news agency PTI. 

A three-day mourning was announced across Odisha as a mark of respect to the departed by the state government. A notification issued stated that there will be no official entertainment for three days, from January 29 to 31 throughout the state and the national flag would be flown at half-mast.