The Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress agreed on portfolio distribution in Maharashtra on Thursday, more than two weeks after Sena president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took oath along with six ministers, The Hindu reported.
At present ministers – two each from the Sena, the NCP and the Congress – will handle all portfolios, and a Cabinet expansion is likely take place after the winter session of the Assembly that will run from December 16 to December 21.
Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde was given the home ministry along with the ministries of urban development, forest, environment, water supply, water conservation, tourism, public undertakings and parliamentary affairs, reported PTI. His party colleague Subhash Desai will be in charge of the departments of agriculture, industries, higher and technical education, sports and youth welfare, horticulture, transport, Marathi language and cultural affairs, and ports.
The Nationalist Congress Party’s Jayant Patil will handle the important finance and planning ministry along with housing, public health, co-operative, food and civil supplies, labour and minority welfare. The NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal has been allocated irrigation, rural development, social justice, excise, skill development, and food and drug Administration.
State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat has been given the ministries of revenue, energy, medical education, school education, animal husbandry and dairy development, and fisheries. His party colleague Nitin Raut will handle public works department, tribal welfare, women and child welfare, textile, relief and rehabilitation, and the department of Vimukta Jati, Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Class and Special Backward Class Welfare.
Uddhav Thackeray will keep the departments not allocated to any minister, according to a statement from his office. “The portfolio allocation is a temporary arrangement in view of the winter session which will start next week,” said Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik. “After the cabinet expansion more ministers will be inducted.”
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