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The 18-month-old Raman Singh cabinet was expanded on Friday with the induction of three new faces in the ministry besides six parliamentary secretaries enjoying the rank of minister of state.
Bhaiyalal Rajwade, Dayaldas Baghel and Mahesh Gagda took oath as cabinet ministers in the Raman Singh government. Of the three, Baghel has had experience working as minister in the previous cabinet, while the other two were the parliamentary secretaries now elevated as cabinet ministers.
Gagda has been the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s tribal face in the Naxal affected Bastar region and represents the southern part of the state.
Rajwade represents Baikunthpur assembly segment in North Chhattisgarh while Dayaldas Baghel represents Navagarh, a constituency reserved for the scheduled castes in Durg district in central part of the state.
Rajwade represents Baikunthpur assembly segment in North Chhattisgarh while Dayaldas Baghel represents Navagarh, a constituency reserved for the scheduled castes in Durg district in central part of the state.
The Chief Minister has ensured regional balance while expanding the cabinet that was much awaited affair in the ruling party. Governor Balramji Das Tandon administered the oath of office and secrecy to the cabinet ministers at the function held in Raj Bhawan in the morning.
Later in the evening, the eight parliamentary secretaries who enjoy the rank of minister of state were administered oath by the chief minister at his official residence. The parliamentary secretaries include Shivshankar Paikra, Roopkumari Chowdhary, Suniti Rathia, Labhchand Bafna, Tokhan Sahu, Ambresh Jangade, Motiram Chandravanshi and Lakhan Dewangan.
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The chief minister also made minor changes in the portfolio of the ministers. Panchayat and rural development and parliamentary affairs minister Ajay Chandrakar has been given the charge of health, family welfare and medical education which were earlier with Amar Agrawal.
Agrawal will retain his other departments including commercial taxes and urban administration besides holding important commerce, industry and public sector departments that were earlier with the chief minister.
Culture and Tourism departments have been taken from Ajay Chandrakar and given to Dayaldas Baghel.
The second time MLA from the insurgency-hit Bijapur constituency Mahesh Gagda, who is also party’s young face, will be state’s new forest minister.
The Chief minister will continue to hold charge of general administration, finance, electronics and information technology, public relations, mining, energy and aviation.
