Bhubaneswar: Accomplished Odissi danseuse Padmashri Aruna Mohanty has been nominated as the president of Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy. Dr. Hrushikesh Mallick has been selected as the president of Odisha Sahitya Academy.

The Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has also picked up Srinibas Padihari to head Odisha Lalit Kala Academy and Dr. Sayed Musir Alam to head Odisha Urdu Academy.

The government has also nominated Manmmath Kumar Satpathy as vice president of Sangeet Natak Academy. Sangram Jena and Prabodh Kumar Rout have been nominated as vice president and secretary of Sahitya Academy respectively. Panchanan Samal has been nominated as vice president of Lalit Kala Academy.

A committee headed by development commissioner Pradip Jena had recommended the names for final approval of the chief minister.