West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has formally allocated portfolios to his newly formed cabinet, marking a significant step in the state's administrative restructuring. The Chief Minister has chosen to retain several key departments under his direct supervision, including Home and Hill Affairs, Land and Land Reforms, and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation. Also, he will oversee the Power, Information and Cultural Affairs, and Personnel and Administrative Reforms departments, along with any other unallocated portfolios. This move signifies a centralized approach to internal security and administrative governance in the state.
Key Cabinet Appointments and Responsibilities
In a major appointment, Swapan Dasgupta has been entrusted with the Finance Ministry, a role critical for the state's economic planning and fiscal management, while nisith Pramanik has been assigned the North Bengal Development and Water Resources Investigation and Development departments, highlighting a focus on the northern regions of the state. Ashok Kirtania will manage Food and Supplies along with Cooperation, while Dilip Ghosh has been given the responsibility of Panchayat and Rural Development as well as Agricultural Marketing. These appointments reflect a strategic distribution of power aimed at rural and urban development.
The cabinet also features Kshudiram Tudu as the Minister for Tribal Development and Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education. Agnimitra Paul has been appointed to lead Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, a key sector for the state's infrastructure. Deepak Barman will handle School Education, Housing, and the MSME and Textiles sectors. Tapas Roy has been assigned a broad portfolio including Industry, Commerce and Enterprise, Public Undertakings and Industrial Reconstruction, and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources, while dr. Shankar Ghosh will manage Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism, while Manoj Kumar Oraon takes charge of Forest and Environment, while arjun Singh has been assigned Labour and Transport, and Gouri Sankar Ghosh will look after Backward Classes Welfare, Mass Education Extension, and Library Services.
Comprehensive List of Cabinet Ministers
The full list of cabinet ministers and their respective departments is as follows: Jagannath Chattopadhyay will lead Higher Education and Technical Education, Training and Skill Development. Dr. Kalyan Chakraborty has been assigned Information Technology and Electronics, Science and Technology and Biotechnology, and Food Processing Industries and Horticulture. Dr. Sharadwat Mukherjee will oversee Health and Family Welfare, while Arup Kumar Das takes charge of Irrigation and Waterways, while dr. Ajay Kumar Poddar has been given the responsibility of Public Health Engineering (PHE) and the Public Works Department (PWD). Dudh Kumar Mondal will serve as the Minister for Agriculture.
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
The administration also includes Ministers of State with Independent Charge to ensure focused governance in specific sectors. Malti Rava Roy will oversee Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, Self Help Groups and Self Employment, and Programme Monitoring. Rajesh Mahata has been given Animal Resources Development and Fisheries, while Dr. Indranil Khan will handle Youth Services and Sports along with Consumer Affairs.
Ministers of State and Support Roles
To support the senior ministers, several Ministers of State have been appointed across various departments. Joyel Murmu will assist in Tribal Development and Irrigation and Waterways. Dr, while hare Krishna Bera is assigned to Higher Education and Technical Education. Anandamay Barman will work in Transport and Finance. Ashok Dinda has been given Agricultural Marketing and MSME and Textiles. Nadiar Chand Bauri will look after Public Works and Backward Classes Welfare. Bishal Lama is assigned to Home and Hill Affairs and Minority Affairs. Shantanu Pramanik will assist in Food and Supplies and Panchayat and Rural Development. Moumita Biswas Mishra is in Industry and Science and Technology. Umesh Rai will handle Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development. Purnima Chakraborty is assigned to Information and Cultural Affairs and Tourism. Kaushik Choudhury will look after School Education and Fire Services. Bhaskar Bhattacharya is in PHE and Labour. Diwakar Gharami will handle Cooperation and Forest. Amiya Kisku is in Food Processing and Agriculture. Kalita Maji is assigned to Housing. Gargi Das Ghosh will look after Power and Renewable Energy. Biraj Biswas is in Law, Judicial, and North Bengal Development. Dipankar Jana will handle Land and Land Reforms and Sundarban Affairs, while finally, Sumana Sarkar is assigned to Health and Family Welfare.