Agartala: Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Friday allocated the portfolios among his cabinet colleague retaining 32 major departments including home, health, PWD, information and cultural affairs, education, forest, science, technology & environment, and rural development with him.
The finance, planning, and coordination with IT have been allocated to former agriculture, transport, and tourism minister, Pranajit Singharoy while power and agriculture have been entrusted to the most controversial minister of his previous cabinet who held the education portfolio, Ratan Lal Nath.
Food, Civil Supplies, Transport, and Tourism were allocated to former Information minister Sushanta Chowdhury.
The industries and commerce have been entrusted to the lone female minister of the cabinet Santana Chakma.
Tribal Welfare was allocated to the new entry Bikash Debbarma, Social Welfare, Youth Affairs, and Sports to Tinku Roy, and Animal resource development to Sudhanshu Das.
The lone member of BJP’s ally in the government IPFT Shukla Charan Noatia has been allocated Cooperation and Minorities Welfare.
However, three berths in the cabinet are still vacant and Chief Minister indicated to be filled up very soon after a thorough discussion with the party and centre.
Dr Saha has inducted four new faces among his nine members of cabinet excluding four ministers from his previous council of ministers including senior BJP men Ramprasad Paul, Rampada Jamatia, and Bhagaban Das due to their poor performance in the government.
The BJP won 32 seats alone while its ally IPFT secured victory in one seat in 60 members’ assembly. Winning 13 seats TIPRA Motha appeared as the principal opposition followed by CPI-M with 11 and Congress with three MLAs.
