GUWAHATI, May 25 - A day after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal today allotted portfolios to all the members of the Council of Ministers at a meeting at the Brahmaputra Guest House at Kharguli here.
As has been the tradition, the Chief Minister kept the Home Department with himself besides several other important portfolios like Political, Personnel, Power, Social Welfare, Judicial Legislative Law, Administrative Reform and Training, Implementation of Assam Accord, Hill Areas Development, Welfare and Minorities Development, Border Area Development, Revenue and Disaster Management and all departments not allotted to any other minister.
The Finance Department was allotted to Himanta Biswa Sarma along with several key portfolios like Planning and Development, Health and Family Welfare, Education (Higher, Secondary and Elementary), Tourism, Handloom and Textile (only Khadi and Village Industry), GDD, Cooperation and Pension and Public Grievances.
Two first-timers � Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta � of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) too were assigned charges of crucial departments. While Bora was allotted departments like Agriculture, Horticulture and Food Processing, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, UDD and Town and Country Planning, Mahanta was allotted Water Resources Department, besides Science and Technology and Information Technology departments.
Similarly, both the Ministers from the Bodoland People�s Front (BPF), another important constituent of the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who are making comebacks in the Cabinet (were ministers in the Congress-led Government before breaking ties), were also given more than one department to look after.
Former Agriculture Minister in the Congress-led Government, Pramila Rani Brahma has been entrusted with the responsibility of departments like Environment and Forests, Soil Conservation, Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Class and Mines and Minerals. Her co-partyman Rihan Daimary, also a minister during the Congress regime, got portfolios like Public Health Engineering (held the post earlier too) and Food and Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs.
Parimal Suklabaidya, making his debut in the State Cabinet, was allotted PWD (Roads and Buildings, NH), Fisheries and Excise.
Ranjit Dutta, who too is making his debut in the Cabinet, was allotted Irrigation, Handloom and Textile and Sericulture (excluding Khadi and Village Industry) portfolios.
Another comeback man, Chandra Mohan Patowary, who was a minister during the AGP regimes in 1985 and 1996, has been chosen for important portfolios like Commerce and Industry and Transport and Parliamentary Affairs.
Among the two Ministers of State with independent charges, Naba Kumar Doley has been allotted departments like Panchayat and Rural Development, Sports and Youth Welfare, Cultural Affairs, and Social Welfare (MoS to assist Chief Minister), while Pallab Lochan Das was chosen for departments like Labour and Employment, Tea Tribes Welfare and Revenue and Disaster Management and Power (MoS to assist Chief Minister).
List of Ministers
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
Home, Political, Personal, GAD, SAD, Administrative Reform & Training, Election, I&PR, Border Area Development, Revenue and DM, Social Welfare, Judicial Legislative Law, Welfare and Minorities Development, Hill Areas Development, Printing and Stationary, Power, Implementation of Assam Accord and any other department not allotted to the other Minister.
Himanta Biswa Sarma
Finance, Planning and Development, Health & Family Welfare, Education (Higher, Secondary & Elementary), Tourism, Handloom and Textile (only Khadi and Village Industry), GDD, Cooperation, Pension and Public Grievances.
Atul Bora
Agriculture, Horticulture and Food Processing, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, UDD and Town & Country Planning.
Pramila Rani Brahma
Environment & Forest, Soil Conservation, Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes, Mines & Minerals.
Keshab Mahanta
Water Resources, Science & Technology, Information Technology.
Parimal Suklabaidya
PWD (Roads and Buildings, NH), Fisheries and Excise.
Ranjit Dutta
Irrigation, Handloom and Textile and Sericulture (excluding Khadi and Village Industry).
Chandra Mohan Patowary
Commerce & Industry, Transport, Parliamentary Affairs.
Rihon Daimary
Public Health Engineering, Food and Civil Supply and Consumer.
Minister of State
Naba Kumar Doley
Panchayat and Rural Development, Sports & Youth Welfare, Cultural Affairs (As independent charges) Social Welfare (MoS to assist CM)
Pallav Lochan Das
Labour and Employment, Tea Tribes Welfare (as independent charges), Revenue & DM (MoS to assist CM), Power.
