The West Bengal government on Wednesday allocated portfolios to newly inducted ministers following a major Cabinet expansion, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari retaining key departments, including Home and Hill Affairs.
According to an official notification, Adhikari will continue to oversee the Home and Hill Affairs Department, Land and Land Reforms, and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation, among other portfolios.
The allocation comes after the recent expansion of the state Cabinet, which increased the strength of the Council of Ministers to 41 members.
Among the key appointments, 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 the Panchayats and Rural Development Department along with Agricultural Marketing.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta has been entrusted with the Finance Department, while Agnimitra Paul will oversee the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department.
Tapas Roy has been allocated the Departments of Industry, Commerce and Enterprises, Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction, and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy. Arup Kumar Das will head the Irrigation and Waterways Department.
Also read: WB: 18 IAS officers transferred in major administrative reshuffe
Jagannath Chattopadhyay has been assigned Higher Education and Technical Education, Training and Skill Development. 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 the Public Health Engineering and Public Works departments.
The notification also detailed portfolios for Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and Ministers of State, signalling a broader administrative reorganisation aimed at strengthening governance across sectors.
The portfolio allocation follows the induction of ministers into the state Cabinet earlier this month. Thirty-five ministers were sworn in at Lok Bhawan in Kolkata on June 1, with Governor R N Ravi administering the oath.
The expansion and subsequent allocation of portfolios are aimed at strengthening the government's administrative machinery and ensuring focused attention on key sectors such as finance, infrastructure, rural development, industry, health and education.
Follow us
