Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb allocates portfolios; keeps Home, PWD

AGARTALA: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday allotted portfolios to his ministers, keeping several important departments, including Home, PWD and Industries, with himself, an official said.

Deb, along with his eight other ministerial colleagues, assumed office here on Friday at a grand function attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, many central ministers and Chief Ministers of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -ruled states and former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Deb received an impressive reception when he entered the Chief Minister's office on Saturday. He allotted Finance, Power and Rural Development departments to Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Debbarman.

Erstwhile royal family scion Debbarman was the BJP nominee from Charilam constituency (reserved for tribals), where polling could not be held on February 18 after the death of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate and would now be held on Monday.

A week before the assembly polls, CPI-M nominee for Charilam (Scheduled Tribe reserve) seat Ramendra Narayan Debbarma died at the Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital here on February 11, following a massive cardiac attack.

According to an official notification, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) President Narendra Chandra Debbarma was given Revenue and Fisheries Department while Ratan Lal Nath was allotted Education (both higher and school education), Law and Minorities Welfare.

Tribal-based IPFT is the electoral ally of BJP and won eight seats of the total of 43-member alliance strength in the 60-member Assembly.

Sudip Roy Barman, who led six Congress MLAs to join BJP last year, was assigned Health and Family Welfare, Drinking Water and Sanitation and Information Technology Departments.

Pranjit Singha Roy, the lone minister from southern Tripura's two districts (South Tripura and Gomati), was given Agriculture, Transport and Tourism departments while young legislator Manoj Kanti Deb would look after Sports and Youth Affairs and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Departments.

Important Tribal Welfare and Forest departments were allotted to IPFT's second minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia while lone woman minister Santana Chakma got Social Welfare and Social Education and Animal Resource Development Departments.