Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday allocated portfolios to 12 newly inducted ministers taking the overall strength to 17.
The chief minister has kept home and political, PWD (Buildings and National Highways), PWD (Roads), power, information, public relations, printing and stationery and other departments not allotted to any other minister.
In his first term, Sarma handled home, personnel, PWD (buildings and national highways), PWD (roads) and medical education.
Ashok Singhal, who was the health and family welfare minister in the previous government, has been given the same portfolio with the additional responsibility of medical education and research.
Bimal Bora will be handling cultural affairs, industries, commerce and public enterprises this time as well with the additional responsibility of Act East policy affairs.
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Jayanta Malla Baruah has been given finance, environment and forest, mines and minerals departments. In the previous government, he was allotted public health engineering and housing and urban affairs departments.
Kaushik Rai, has been entrusted with the food, public distribution and consumer affairs, housing and urban affairs and cooperation departments. In the previous regime he was managing food, public distribution and consumer affairs, mines and minerals and Barak Valley Development.
{{/usCountry}}Kaushik Rai, has been entrusted with the food, public distribution and consumer affairs, housing and urban affairs and cooperation departments. In the previous regime he was managing food, public distribution and consumer affairs, mines and minerals and Barak Valley Development.
{{/usCountry}}Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MLA, Keshab Mahanta, who was handling revenue and disaster management, information technology, science, technology and climate change in the previous regime, will be looking after the same departments with the additional responsibility of general administration.
Krishnendu Paul has been given the public health engineering, hill areas and Barak Valley development departments. Earlier, he was handling animal husbandry and veterinary, fisheries, PWD (roads-Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) departments.
Pijush Hazarika, will be handling agriculture, irrigation and parliamentary affairs departments. He was looking after information and public relations, printing and stationery and water resources departments in the earlier government.
Ranoj Pegu, who was looking after school education, higher education, tribal affairs (plains) in the previous regime, will be looking after the same departments this time as well with the added responsibility of information technology.
Ashwini Ray Sarkar will be handling social justice and empowerment, soil conservation and welfare of minorities and development while former assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary will look after handloom, textiles and sericulture, sports and youth welfare, skill, employments and entrepreneurship and indigenous and tribal faith and culture.
Nilima Devi has been given the animal husbandry, veterinary and fishery departments while Sushanta Borgohain has been allotted water resources and judicial. Sarkar, Daimary, Devi and Borgohain are new faces in the second Sarma cabinet.
Four other ministers, Rameswar Teli, Ajanta Neog (both BJP), Atul Bora (from AGP) and Charan Boro (Bodoland Peoples Front) had taken oath along with CM Sarma on May 12.
Former union minister Teli, was allotted transformation and development, labour welfare and tea-tribes and Adivasi welfare departments. Neog got tourism and women and child development departments.
Bora, has been assigned the departments of panchayat and rural development, implementation of Assam Accord, border protection and development and excise. Boro was handed transport and welfare of Bodoland region, both portfolios which he held in the previous cabinet as well.