Bhubaneswar: A day after the death of Odisha's health minister Naba Kishore Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday allocated his portfolio to cabinet member Niranjan Pujari. With the approval of Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, the CM asked Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari to additionally take charge of the health and family welfare department, said an official statement issued by the chief minister's office.
Das, 60, was shot at Brajrajnagar town on Sunday by an assistant sub-inspector of Police, who is believed to be suffering from a mental disorder. The minister was holding the health portfolio since May 2019. The number of members in the council of state ministers now comes down to 21 after the demise of Das.
Meanwhile, authorities said the deceased minister's postmortem report will come after a few days. "Naba Das' postmortem was done in the presence of the crime branch team. The report will come after some days. Two members of the doctor team did the postmortem," said Capital Hospital director Laxmidhar Sahoo.
The Odisha government on Sunday evening said state honour would be accorded to Naba Kishore Das, the health and family welfare minister who died in hospital hours after being shot by a policeman. A government release said there will be no official entertainment for three days from January 29-31 throughout the state. It has been decided by the Government of Odisha that as a mark of respect, state honour would be accorded to the departed dignitary. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of death in the state capital and on the day of funeral at the place where it takes place, an official release said.
President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said she was "shocked and disturbed" by the death of Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das and offered her deepest condolences to his family members. "Shocked and disturbed by the death of Shri Naba Kishore Das ji, Odisha Health minister, in a dastardly act of violence. My deepest condolences to his family and well-wishers," Murmu tweeted, (With Agency Input)
