West Bengal Cabinet Reshuffle: Mamata Banerjee-led govt changes portfolio of four ministers, Babul Supriyo gets…

The West Bengal government on Wednesday effected a reshuffle of portfolios of four ministers including three of Cabinet rank following Governor CV Ananda Bose’s assent to the changes, a home department notification said.

The changes included entrusting some of these ministers with additional responsibilities over and above their current portfolios.

Veteran Trinamool Congress leader Manas Bhuniya was given the charge of the Irrigation and Waterways department in addition to his existing Water Resources Investigation department.

The Irrigation and Waterways department was earlier held by Partha Bhowmick, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Barrackpore constituency.

Babul Supriyo got the charge of the Department of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction, in addition to Information Technology and Electronics.

Md Ghulam Rabbani, who previously held the Environment department, will be the minister of the Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, a department which was earlier held by Supriyo.

The Environment Department (independent charge) will now be held by Minister of State Chandrima Bhattacharya, who already holds independent charges of Finance and Programme Monitoring departments.

Bhattacharya is also the minister of state of Health and Family Welfare, Land and Land Reforms, Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation, and Planning and Statistics departments.

The notification did not mention who will be in charge of the Correctional Home department which was vacated by Akhil Giri on Monday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will look after the department till further notification, sources in the state headquarters ‘Nabanna’ said.

Giri who was accused of verbally abusing a forest department official resigned as minister after being asked by his party, the Trinamool Congress.