Bhubaneswar, Jul 17 (IANS): Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik has entrusted party MLAs with the task to keep a strict watch on the functioning of various departments and raise their voice in the assembly if they come across any irregularities by the Bharatiya Janata Party government.

“The following departments are allotted to the Hon'ble MLAs of BJD for close monitoring, Assembly interventions and other issues relating to the departments,” read a letter issued by the party on Wednesday.

The Revenue and Disaster Management department will be monitored by former Minister and Athgarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain while senior leader and ex-speaker Pramila Mallik will watch the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water and Parliamentary Affairs departments. Ghasipura MLA Badri Narayan Patra will monitor the Women and Child Development department.

Similarly, Niranjan Pujari will monitor activities related to the Home and Food Supplies & Consumer Affairs departments while senior leader Pratap Keshari Deb will watch the General Administration and Public Grievances department.

Braja Kishore Pradhan, Prasanna Acharya, Arun Kumar Sahoo have been asked to monitor the functioning of the Health & Family Welfare, Finance & Public Enterprises and Water Resources departments respectively.

As many as 51 MLAs including the Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are representing the BJD in the state assembly this time.