Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday allocated portfolios to 11 of his ministerial colleagues but Tamradhwaj Sahu emerged the biggest gainer with plump portfolios of Home and Public Works Department (PWD).
Baghel has kept key infrastructure departments with him such as Energy, Mining, IT besides Finance but the Sahu community’s powerful leader Tamradhwaj Sahu walked away with major portfolios of Home and PWD.
Senior leader Ravindra Choubey has been given Agriculture, Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs while the lone Muslim community minister Mohammed Akbar has become Transport, Forest and Housing and Environment minister.
The seasoned tribal leader Kawasi Lakhma who had never attended school, has become Excise and most importantly the Industry Minister.
The list of Chhattisgarh ministers with portfolios
·Bhupesh Baghel: Energy, Finance, General Administration, Mining, Information Technology, Aviation, Public Relations and the departments which are not allotted to other ministers.
·Mohammad Akbar: Transport, Forest Ministry, Housing and Environment, Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection
·Ravindra Choubey: Parliamentary Affairs, Law and Legal Affairs, Agriculture and Bio-technology, Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Water Resources and Ayacut
·Tamradhwaj Sahu: Ministry of Public Works, Home, Jail, Religious Endowment, Tourism and Culture
·TS Singh Deo: Panchayat and Rural Development, Public Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Planning Economic and Statistics, 20 Point Programme Commerce Tax (GST) Department
·Anila Bhedia: Department of Women and Child Development, Social Welfare
·Umesh Patel: Higher Education, Technical Education, Skill Development, Science and Technology, Sports and Youth Development
·Jai Singh Aggarwal: Revenue department, Rehabilitation, Registration and Stamp
·Dr. Shiv Daharia: Urban Administration, Development and Labour
·Guru Rudra Kumar: Public Health and Rural Industry
·Prem Sai Singh: School Education, SC/ST, OBC and Minority Welfare, Cooperative
·Kawasi Lakhma: Excise Department, Industries