Bhubaneswar, Jul 20 (IANS): Senior advocate Pitambar Acharya has been appointed the new Advocate General of Odisha, the law department said in a notification on Friday.

“In pursuance of Clause (1) of Article 165 of the Constitution, the Governor of Odisha is pleased to appoint Pitambar Acharya, Senior Advocate, High Court of Orissa, as the Advocate General of Odisha with immediate effect,” read the notification.

The post of AG was lying vacant for around a month after senior lawyer Ashok Parija resigned from the post following the change in government. Parija held the AG's post since 2019.

Senior lawyer Jyoti Prakash Patnaik was working as the in-charge Advocate General after Parija’s resignation.

Opposition Biju Janata Dal leader Lekhasri Samantsinghar had recently alleged policy paralysis in the state government over the delay in the appointment of the new Advocate General.

Notably, Acharya had unsuccessfully contested against former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the latter’s home turf Hinjili in the 2019 Assembly polls on a BJP ticket, losing by a margin of 60,160 votes.

The senior advocate has been practising in the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court for around 30 years.