Soon after taking oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second consecutive term, Bhupendra Patel on Monday night allotted portfolios to the new ministers in his Cabinet. CM Patel kept the home, revenue and a few other key departments with himself.
The departments of finance, energy, and petrochemicals went to Kanubhai Desai, while the lone woman in the Cabinet — Bhanuben Babariya — was given the social justice and empowerment, and women and child development portfolios.
Apart from the home and revenue ministries, CM Patel kept the ministries of general administration, disaster management, urban development and urban housing, pilgrimage development, panchayat, science and technology, roads and building, Narmada, ports, and information and broadcasting with himself.
Rushikesh Patel retained the health and family welfare portfolio, which he has been handling since last year, and additionally bagged the higher and technical education, law and parliamentary, and legislative affairs portfolios. Raghavji Patel, too, retained the agriculture ministry and additionally received the fisheries, rural housing and rural development departments.
Balwantsinh Rajput retained his civil aviation ministry. He was also allotted industries, labour and employment, MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), and cottage industry departments. Cabinet member Kunvarji Bavaliya retained the water resources and water supply department and additionally bagged the food and civil supply departments.
While Khambhalia MLA Mulubhai Bera received the ministries of tourism, cultural activities, forest and environment, his colleague Kuber Dindor will handle the tribal development and primary and secondary education portfolios.
Harsh Sanghavi has been given portfolios of home, police housing, industry and cultural activities as a Minister of State (MoS). He will also handle sports and youth service, NRG (non-resident Gujaratis) department, prisons, border security and transport portfolios as MoS with independent charge.
MoS Jagdish Vishwakarma has been given independent charge of cooperation, salt industry and protocol departments. He will also handle MSME, cottage industry, khadi and village industry and civil aviation in the capacity of a junior minister.
Parshottam Solanki has been given fisheries and animal husbandry as a Minister of State, while Bachubhai Khabad has been made MoS for panchayat and agriculture departments.
Mukesh Patel will handle forest and environment, climate change, water resources and water supply departments as a junior minister. Praful Pansheriya has been given the charge of parliamentary and legislative affairs as well as education portfolio as a junior minister. While Bhikhusinh Parmar has been made a junior minister for food and civil Supply as well as social justice and empowerment, his colleague Kunvarji Halpati will handle tribal development, labour and employment and rural development as an MoS.
The 60-year-old Bhupendra Patel, along with 16 MLAs, took oath on Monday afternoon.
(With inputs from PTI.)