On the recommendations of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Governor Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday distributed portfolios among the members of the council of ministers. The CM has been allotted Personnel, Home (With prisons), Cabinet Secretariat and Vigilance (sans Parliamentary affairs) and all other departments that have not been allotted to any Minister.
Minister from Congress quota and CLP Leader Alamgir Alam has been allotted Parliamnetary Affairs, Rural Development (Including Rural Works, Panchyati Raj and NREP Special Division) departments, while JPCC president rameshwar Oraon has been allotted Planning cum Finance, Commercial taxes, Food, Civic Supplies and Consumer Affairs departments.
Minister from RJD quota Satyanad Bhokta has been entrusted with Labour, Employment and Training department, while Banna Gupta has been given Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare alongwith Welfare department.
First time Minister Badal (from Congress) has been given Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperative departments. Minister Champai Soren (JMM) has been entrusted with ST/SC Welfare (Sans Minority) and Transport department, while Hazi Hussain Ansari has been given Minority Welfare and Registration departments.
Minister (JMM) Jagarnath Mahto has been given School Education and Literacy, Excise and Prohibition departments, while Joba Manjhi has been entrusted with Women and Child Development and Social Welfare department. JMM’s Mithilesh Thakur has been given Drinking Water and Sanitation department.
After about a month of formation of government in the State, seven ministers took oath of office and secrecy on January 28 taking the total number of ministers, including the Chief Minister in the council of ministers to 11. One ministerial berth is still vacant in the council of ministers. Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers including the Chief Minister. The previous Raghubar Das government had run the dispensation with only 11 ministers all through its five-year term.
Earlier, the Cabinet expansion was to take place on January 24, but the function was postponed at last hour due to killing of seven tribals at Burugulikera village in Chibasa by alleged pro Pathalgadi supporters. Also the function was deferred due to communal violence in Lohardaga.