SHILLONG, March 13 � It is only apt that Meghalaya following a matrilineal system now has a women looking after the safety and security of its people in Roshan Warjri as the first woman Home Minister of the State.
Warjri becomes one of the few women Ministers to hold the important Home portfolio traditionally reserved for men. Apart from the Home department, Warjri has the additional charge of Home (Jails) and the Public Works Department (Buildings), equally important portfolios.
Warjri, 63, was elected from North Shillong Assembly constituency and is the first woman in the North East and eastern India to hold the Home department. In fact, she is the second woman to hold the portfolio in India after P Sabita Indra Reddy in Andhra Pradesh.
She first joined politics in 1993 and won on a Hill People�s Union ticket. She returned to the Assembly in 1998 contesting on a United Democratic Party ticket, but thereafter she did not contest, until this Assembly polls.
During her earlier stints, she was a Cabinet Minister in the BB Lyngdoh Ministry and held the Urban Affairs portfolio. She was the chairperson of Meghalaya State Women�s Commission earlier last year before joining the Congress and winning the elections.
Warjri has replaced senior Congress leader HDR Lyngdoh, who earlier held the portfolio in the previous Meghalaya United Alliance Government. Lyngdoh would now hold the Transport, General Administration Department, District Council Affairs and Cooperation departments.
The two other women Ministers � Deborah C Marak, was allotted Social Welfare, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Printing and Stationery and Secretariat Administration Department, while Amapreen Lyngdoh retained Urban Affairs, Municipal Administration with the additional charge of the Labour department.
In the other portfolios allotted, Deputy Chief Minister RC Laloo, was given Public Health Engineering, School Education and Literacy, Higher and Technical Education, Revenue and Disaster Management and Re-organisation.
The other Deputy Chief Minister Rowel Lyngdoh has been allotted Water Resources, Soil Conservation, Home (Passport), Law, Election and Administrative Reforms.
Prestone Tynsong retained Forest and Environment with the additional charge of Community and Rural Development, Border Areas Development and Parliamentary Affairs.
AL Hek has been earmarked the Health and Family Welfare, Information Technology and Information and Public Relations. Zenith M Sangma was allotted Sports and Youth Affairs, Excise, Housing and Sericulture and Weaving.
Newcomer, Clement Marak would hold Power, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs besides Arts and Culture. The other newcomer Sniawbhalang Dhar has been allotted PWD (Roads), Home Guards and Civil Defence besides Legal Metrology.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma kept to himself the key portfolios of Finance, Planning, Agriculture, Commerce and Industries departments, besides Mining and Geology.