MP gets health minister amid Covid-19 lockdown as Shivraj Singh Chouhan allocates portfolios

The allocation of portfolios in Madhya Pradesh came a day after Narottam Mishra, Tulsi Silavat, Kamal Patel, Govind Singh Rajput and Meena Singh were sworn in by Governor Lalji Tandon amid the Covid-19 lockdown on Tuesday morning.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has distributed portfolios among five of his ministers, allocating the health department to Narottam Mishra as the state battled a surge in the cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), ANI reported on Wednesday.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon administers the oath of office and secrecy to Cabinet Minister Narottam Mishra during the swearing-in ceremony, at Raj Bhawan in Bhopal, Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (PTI)

The allocation of portfolios came a day after Narottam Mishra, Tulsi Silavat, Kamal Patel, Govind Singh Rajput and Meena Singh were sworn in by Governor Lalji Tandon amid the Covid-19 lockdown on Tuesday morning.

Later in the day, Shivraj Singh Chouhan assigned the ministers different divisions to monitor and coordinate the implementation of the measures taken to check the spread of Covid-19.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 1776, including 76 deaths and 149 people who have been discharged after being cured. The coronavirus pandemic has spread to 26 of its 52 districts.

Indore has emerged as one of the major Covid-19 hotspots in the country and prompted the Centre to send a team on Monday to the city to assess and manage the situation.

Narottam Mishra has also been given the charge of the home, ANI reported.

According to the news agency, Kamal Patel has been made the central state’s agriculture minister, Tulsi Silawat has been given the water resources department, Govind Singh Rajput will be the food processing minister and Meena Singh will be in charge of the tribal welfare department.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with his cabinet ministers after the allocation of portfolios.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was sworn in as the chief minister on March 23, chose to expand his cabinet after nearly a month of taking charge of the central state.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had been criticised by the opposition and on social media for running his government without a cabinet, particularly without a health minister, as the Covid-19 situation continued to worsen in the state.

When Chouhan assumed office the coronavirus pandemic was rearing its head in the state with only seven Covid-19 cases registered in two districts. But in the span of about 29 days, the state has registered as many as 1485 Covid-19 cases with 76 of them dead and as many as 26 of its 52 districts affected.