Tripura: Portfolios of ministers revised after CM expands Cabinet

Agartala, Aug 31 (PTI) Hours after Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb expanded the cabinet inducting three ministers on Tuesday, the state government announced revised portfolios of several ministers.

Some of the portfolios of the chief minister have gone to the new ministers.

"The Governor of Tripura has on the advice of the Chief Minister been pleased to allocate the business of the Government by assigning to the charge of the Departments to the ministers with immediate effect," a notification issued by Chief Secretary Kumar Alok said.

Three new faces are Sushanta Chowdhury, Ramprasad Paul and Bhagaban Das.

Chowdhury was given the portfolios of Information and Cultural Affairs, Youth Affairs, Sports and PWD, while Paul was allotted OBC and Minorities Welfare along with Home (Jail, Fire and Emergency Services) and Cooperation.

Das became the minister for Animal Resource Development, Scheduled Caste (SC) Welfare and Labour, the notification said.

In the process of distribution of portfolios to the new ministers, Deb was relieved of the portfolios of Industries and Commerce, Urban Development, Home (Jail, Fire and Emergency Services) and Labour.

Senior minister Ratan Lal Nath was divested of the portfolios of OBC and Minorities Welfare.

Santana Chakma, the lone woman minister in the Biplab Deb cabinet, was given the charge of Urban Development department but her Animal Resources Development department was given to Das.

Mevar Kumar Jamatia, who holds the Tribal Welfare department, was also given the charge of fisheries department from N C Debbarma. Jamatia was stripped of the charge of the forest department which was allotted to Debbarma.

Two of the three new faces--Paul and Chowdhury--belong to the dissident camp led by former health minister Sudip Roy Burman. The cabinet was expanded ahead of the assembly polls due in 2023.

With the expansion of the cabinet, the first in over three years, the government has 11 ministers. Under the norms based on the strength of the legislative assembly, Tripura can have 11 ministers. PTI JOY NN NN