Naveen Patnaik to attend office tomorrow despite BJD shutdown call

Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his council of ministers would attend offices at the state secretariat tomorrow despite his BJD being among the eight non-Congress parties to call a 12-hour bandh protesting the UPA's decision to hike fuel prices.

"The chief minister is scheduled to attend office tomorrow," a senior official at the chief minister's office said here.

This apart, official sources said, all other ministers had been asked to attend offices at the state secretariat.

"We are in the government. Though we have full support to our partymen for the hartal, the ministers can't become part of it due to constitutional obligations," a senior minister said.

The officials of secretariat and heads of departments were also instructed to reach their respective offices before 10:15 am, sources said.

While the BJD had earlier called for ensuring closure of all central government offices and CPSUs in the state, six other supporting parties - CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc, RJD, SP and JMM were in favour of shutting down state government offices as well.