State Cabinet Minister Jagarnath Mahto today got back his Education and Excise and Prohibition portfolios after a gap of about 10 months. The State Government issued a notification to this effect on Wednesday also allotting portfolios to Ministers Rameshwar Oraon, Alamgir Alam and Hafizul Hassan Ansari.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren met the Education Minister at his residence on Wednesday and inquired about his well-being. He expressed happiness to see the progress in the health of the minister. The Ministry of Education and Excise and Prohibition has been given to the Minister as he is completely healthy. The Chief Minister has advised the minister to settle the works from home. It is expected that soon Minister Jagannath Mahato will start the work. It is to be known that since he was unwell, the work of his ministry was being handled by the CM himself.
Mahato was infected with Coronavirus in the last week of September 2020. After that he was first admitted to RIMS and then to Ranchi's Medica Hospital in a critical condition. The CM was constantly concerned about his health. He had been visiting the hospitals several times to inquire about his health from the doctors. Meanwhile, in view of the deteriorating health condition of the minister, a team of specialist doctors from MGM, Chennai was called to Ranchi on the initiative of the Chief Minister. After this, on the advice of the team, Jagannath Mahato was sent to Chennai on 19 October by air ambulance under the supervision of doctors. He has to undergo lung transplant at the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Center (MGM) in Chennai, due to his Covid-19 infection. After the lung transplant, the minister remained under the supervision of doctors in Chennai for a few days. When the doctors said that his health was good, then the exercise of bringing Mahato, who was undergoing treatment in Chennai, started. On the instructions of the Chief Minister, a team of doctors was sent to Chennai on June 14 in a chartered plane to bring them to Ranchi. The team included Dr. PK Bhattacharya, Head of the Department of RIMS Critical Care and Dr. Ajit Dungdung, Department of Medicine. On June 14, the minister reached Ranchi late in the evening.
When Minister Jagannath Mahto was brought to Ranchi by chartered plane from Chennai, Chief Minister Hemant Soren himself reached the airport to welcome him showing sensitivity. Prior to this, the Minister’s Ranchi residence was also equipped with all the facilities of health benefits on the instructions of the Chief Minister. The CM used to meet the minister from time to time and take stock of his well-being. In this episode, the CM also met him at his residence on Wednesday and following the advice of doctors and the Covid protocol, he advised and wished to take up the work from home.