One day after he was sworn in as Prime Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma distributed portfolios to his cabinet ministers. At the first cabinet meeting of the new Assam government, Covid-19 remained the top priority.
The chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, holds a first cabinet meeting after the formation of the new government in the state. (Photo: PTI)
Assam’s Prime Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma distributed portfolios to 13 members of his cabinet a day later on Tuesday The new Council of Ministers was sworn in. With Ajanta Neog, who took over the finance department, the state got its first female finance minister.
The new Council of Ministers consists of 11 ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including the Prime Minister, two from alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and one from the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
SEE: Himanta Biswa Sarma swears as Assam Prime Minister
DISTRIBUTION OF PORTFOLIOS
- Himanta Biswa Sarma – home; Staff; PWD; and departments not assigned to other ministers
- Ajanta Neog – Ministry of Finance; Social department
- Ranjit Kumar Dass – Panchayat and Rural Development; Public health engineering; Food and civil supplies; and Consumer Affairs Department
- Chandra Mohan Patowary – Transportation; Industry and commerce; Skill development; and minority welfare
- Parimal Suklabaidya – Environment and Forests; Fishing; and subject to excise duty
- Atul Bora – Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, and Veterinary Services; Development of the border area; Implementation of the Assam Agreement and cooperation
- Keshab Mahanta – Health and Family Welfare; Science and technology and information technology
- UG Brahma – hand loom and textile; Soil protection; Welfare of simple tribal and backward class divisions
- Jogen Mohan – Income; Disaster management; Development of hilly areas; and mines and minerals departments
- Sanjay Kishan – Welfare of the Tea Tribe; Work and employment
- Pijush Hazarika – water resources; Information and public relations; and parliamentary affairs
- Ranoj Pegu – Education; Welfare of the Tribe of Plains and Backward Classes (Non-BTC)
- Ashok Singhal – Guwahati Development; urban development; and irrigation.
- Bimal Bora – sport and youth welfare; cultural affairs; Power; and tourism
COVID TOP AGENDA IN THE FIRST CABINET MEET
After Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as prime minister on Monday, he said he had checked the “alert”. The Covid-19 situation in the state is his top priority. Therefore, in the first cabinet meeting of the new Assam government, the current Covid-19 situation in the state was high on the agenda.
With coronavirus cases on the rise in the state, the cabinet saw the need to impose certain restrictions, which the secretary of state will announce on Wednesday, spokespeople Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika said.
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“Ministers will visit their respective districts and hold meetings with the deputy commissioners, joint health directors and other senior officials to present the report to the prime minister and health minister within three days of their visit,” they said.
The Prime Minister will also send ministers to two or more districts to take stock of the Covid-19 situation in the districts and to submit a report within three days. On the basis of this report, a decision on an economic package will be taken at the next cabinet meeting.
TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CABINET MEETING:
- The Assam government has increased its stake in Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) from the current 12.35 percent to 26 percent
- It was decided that the cabinet should meet every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. If the prime minister is out of office on a Wednesday, the cabinet will meet on the same day at the same time next week.
- Cabinet decided to form two committees to produce reports on the provision of employment opportunities for a lakh youth and forego the microfinance loans taken out by women.
- A committee was formed to provide the unemployed youth with a lakh government job until March 2022.
- The state government has also formed another committee to assess the financial participation resulting from the waiver of microfinance institution loans for women SHGs in the state
- Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika, along with newly appointed Political Secretary Jayanta Malla Baruah, have been appointed government spokespersons who will brief the media after each cabinet meeting.
(With contributions from Prema Rajaram and PTI)
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