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The West Bengal government on Wednesday allocated portfolios to newly inducted ministers, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari retaining charge of Home and Hill Affairs, Land and Land Reforms, and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation, among other departments.
The allocation follows the recent cabinet expansion that took the council of ministers to 41 members. Nishith Parmanik has been given charge of the North Bengal Development Department and the Department of Water Resources Investigation and Development. Dilip Ghosh will head Panchayats and Rural Development along with Agricultural Marketing. The state government said the move is meant to ensure focused management of crucial sectors, from border-area development to rural economy and water resources. Swapan Dasgupta has been given charge of the Finance Department. Agnimitra Paul will head the Department of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, while Tapas Roy has been assigned the Department of Industry, Commerce and Enterprises, Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction, and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy. Arup Kumar Das has been allocated the Department of Irrigation and Waterways. Among other key allocations, Jagannath Chattopadhyay has been assigned Higher Education and Technical Education, Training and Skill Development, while Kalyan Chakraborty will oversee Information Technology and Electronics, Science and Technology, Biotechnology, and Food Processing Industries and Horticulture. Sharadwat Mukherjee has been given charge of the Health and Family Welfare Department, while Ajay Kumar Poddar will head Public Health Engineering and Public Works. The notification also announced portfolios for Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and Ministers of State across departments, signalling a broader reorganisation of the state administration. The portfolio allocation follows the induction of the ministers into the state cabinet earlier. The West Bengal cabinet expanded as 35 new ministers took oath at the Lok Bhawan in Kolkata on June 1. Governor R N Ravi administered the oath, bringing the total strength of the Council of Ministers to 41 under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's administration. The expansion marks a significant reshuffle as the state government moves to strengthen its administrative team and governance across various departments. (ANI)
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