Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Tuesday included Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka and Gunupur MLA Satyajeet Gomango in the task force constituted for the formation of the Southern Odisha Development Council (SODC).
The task force is headed by School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond. With the inclusion of Ulaka and Gomango, both from Congress, the task force now has 11 members, excluding three ex-officio members.
The three ex-officio members are RDC (Southern Division), RDC (Central Division) and the managing director of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC).
Earlier, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Gokulananda Mallik, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, Kandhamal MP Sukant Kumar Panigrahi, Digapahandi MLA Siddhant Mohapatra, Malkangiri MLA Narasingh Madkami, Paralakhemundi MLA Rupesh Kumar Panigrahi, Phulbani MLA Uma Charan Mallik, and Pattangi MLA Ramchandra Kadam were appointed members of the task force.
The proposed SODC is expected to play a significant role in the development of the region, aiming to involve all sections of society in the state’s development process. Earlier, Majhi had emphasised the importance of the council in the Assembly.
The task force has been formed to provide recommendations on the establishment of the development council, which districts and blocks will be part of it, as well as its structure and functioning, according to an official statement. The special secretary of the planning and coordination department will serve as the member convener of the task force.
The ruling BJP, in its election manifesto, had promised the creation of a development council for both the southern and northern regions of the state.
PTI