MUMBAI : PORTFOLIOS in the Mahavikas Aghadi Government in Maharashtra were allotted on Thursday, two weeks after Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as Chief Minister, with his party, Shiv Sena, getting the important Home Ministry. Thackeray, alongwith six ministers -- two each from Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress -- took oath of office on November 28.
A statement from the Chief Minister’s office said that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has been given the charge of Home, Urban Development, Forest, Environment, Water Supply, Water Conservation, Tourism, Public Undertakings, Parliamentary Affairs departments. The other Sena Minister, Subhash Desai, has been given the charge of Industries, Higher and Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Horticulture, Transport, Marathi Language and Cultural Affairs, Ports.
NCP Minister Jayant Patil has been allocated Finance and Planning, Housing, Public Health, Co-operation, Food & Civil Supplies, Labour and Minority Welfare. Chhagan Bhujbal, another NCP Minister, has been given Irrigation, Rural Development, Social Justice, Excise, Skill Development, Food and Drug Administration. Congress Minister Balasaheb Thorat has been given Revenue, Energy, Medical Education, School Education, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Fisheries. Congress’s Nitin Raut has been given PWD, Tribal Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, Textile, Relief and Rehabilitation, OBC,VJNT, Special Backward Class Welfare. Chief Minister Thackeray will keep the departments not allocated to any Minister, the statement said. Cabinet expansion is likely to take place after winter session of the State legislature ends on December 21.
Eknath Shinde: Home, Urban Devpt, Forest, Water Supply, Water Conservation, Tourism, Public Undertakings, Parliamentary Affairs
Subhash Desai: Industries, Higher and Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Horticulture, Transport, Marathi Language and Cultural Affairs, Ports
Jayant Patil: Finance and Planning, Housing, Public Health, Co-operation, Food & Civil Supplies, Labour and Minority Welfare
Chhagan Bhujbal: Irrigation, Rural Development, Social Justice, Excise, Skill Development, Food
and Drug Administration
Balasaheb Thorat: Revenue, Energy, Medical Education, School Education, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Fisheries
Nitin Raut: PWD, Tribal Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, Textile, Relief and Rehabilitation, OBC,VJNT, Special Backward Class Welfare