Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has distributed portfolios to 11 ministers of the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, PTI quoted an unidentified official as saying. “The Cabinet had sent the list of portfolios to Raj Bhavan and Governor Ganga Prasad approved it,” the official said.

The chief minister kept important portfolios such as finance, personnel, cabinet affairs and planning with himself, and put his brother James Sangma in charge of the Home Ministry, apart from food and civil supplies, power, district council affairs and law, the Hindustan Times reported.

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Former Congress leaders who had joined the NPP ahead of the February 27 elections got a few key portfolios. Prestone Tynsong was given charge of the Public Works Department (Roads), and the animal husbandry and veterinary, housing, parliamentary affairs and labour ministries, The Shillong Times reported. Coal tycoon Sniawbhalang Dhar was given the transport, industries and community, and rural development ministries. Comingone Ymbon was awarded the buildings and fisheries ministries, and the government administration department.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s AL Hek, who was also earlier with the Congress, was put in charge of the health and family welfare, information and public relations, and the arts and culture ministries, PTI reported. The United Democratic Party’s ministers Metbah Lyngdoh, Lahkmen Rymbui and Kyrmen Shylla were given charge of tourism, border area development and social welfare, respectively, while Peoples Democratic Front minister Banteidor Lyngdoh got agriculture, sports and youth affairs and his party colleague Hamlet Dohling received the urban affairs and information technology portfolios. Dohling had defeated Congress heavyweight Ronnie Lyngdoh in the elections.

Samlin Malngiang, the only minister from the Hills State People’s Democratic Party, was given the public health engineering and secretariat administration portfolios. Malngiang had defeated the incumbent Home Minister and Congress leader Horju Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh in the elections.