Manipur’s Deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh has been stripped off the portfolios he held after he reportedly criticized Chief Minister N. Biren Singh following an issue regarding rice allocation during the lockdown.
State Chief Secretary Dr J Suresh Babu issued a notification of reallocation of the portfolios held by Deputy chief minister to the Chief Minister on Thursday evening.
As per the notification, the Municipal Administration, Housing & Urban Development (MAHUD), forest and environment and climate change, science & technology, economics and statistics departments, held by Joykumar, was reallocated to Chief Minister who is presently holding the charge of Home, finance, transport, tourism, sericulture, minor irrigation, minority affairs OBC & SC, Personnel, Planning, GAD and other departments not allocated to others.
The new development comes hours after BJP MLA Sorokhaibam Rajen Singh of Lamsang assembly constituency, strongly reacted to the statement of Joykumar, a minister of ally National People’s Party (NPP).
Joykumar reportedly termed the CM’s assurance of food security during the lockdown as words of an unreasonable person, saying rice allocation for his Uripok constituency was not enough to distribute to needy people.
“They should have resigned boldly instead of criticizing the leader of the coalition government,” Rajen who is also the Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board said. “We never expected such an irresponsible statement from a responsible leader.”
{{/usCountry}}“They should have resigned boldly instead of criticizing the leader of the coalition government,” Rajen who is also the Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board said. “We never expected such an irresponsible statement from a responsible leader.”
{{/usCountry}}Stating that the rice quota for the constituency could be managed as done by other MLAs, Rajen said that the MLAs should take up relief measures under the guidance of the Chief Minister. Rajen also reacted to a similar statement made by another NPP minister L Jayentakumar recently.. There are four NPP Ministers in the coalition ministry.
Interestingly, the portfolios of MAHUD, forest and environment and climate change, science & technology, economics and statistics departments was allocated to Deputy Chief Minister Joykumar on April 4 as former minister Th Shyamkumar was disqualified by the Speaker’s tribunal of the state assembly.