WB Cabinet Expansion Today
Kolkata: The much-anticipated cabinet expansion of the first BJP government in West Bengal will take place on Monday when a new batch of 35 party MPs will take oath from governor RN Ravi at Lok Bhavan for appointment to the council of ministers headed by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari. With the participation of these ministers, the total number of cabinet members will increase to 41.
On Sunday, Mr. Adhikari posted on X-handle: “Tomorrow, a full-fledged council of ministers of the nationalist government, elected with the mandate of West Bengal, will be constituted. 35 ministers of the Government of West Bengal will take oath at Lok Bhavan at 11 am for the expansion of the cabinet. His Excellency Governor Shri RN Ravi will take oath at Lok Bhavan.”
The BJP MPs whose names are making the rounds for the cabinet this time are economist Sanjeev Sanyal, two journalists: Swapan Dasgupta and Jagannath Chattopadhyay, two actors Roopa Ganguly and Rudranil Ghosh, two doctors: Indranil Khan and Sharadwat Mukherjee, former cricketer Ashok Dinda, Ritesh Tiwari, Tapas Roy, Arjun Singh, Sajal Ghosh, Shankar Ghosh, Noman Rai, Anandamoy Burman et al.
Since the formation of the government on May 9, Mr Adhikari has retained 42 portfolios and distributed the remaining 12 among his five cabinet colleagues Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Asok Kirtania, Khudiram Tudu and Nishit Pramanik. While Mr. Ghosh is the minister of three ministries: panchayat and rural development, animal resources department and agriculture marketing, Ms. Paul holds two ministries: women and child development and social welfare and municipal affairs.
Two more departments – food, supplies and co-operation – went to Mr. Kirtania and three other departments (tribal development, welfare of backward classes and minority affairs and madrasa education) were allocated to Mr. Tudu. Nishit Pramanik has been appointed to two ministries – North Bengal development and youth services and sports.
Following the cabinet expansion, Mr. Adhikari will chair a meeting with four state government employee unions on the fate of the release of gratuity allowance outstanding to them.
