Raipur, Dec 23 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh expanded his ministry on Tuesday, inducting 11 ministers into his Cabinet while giving higher representation to tribals, OBCs and SCs with whose support the BJP has retained power in the state.
Governor E S L Narasimhan administered the oath of office to the ministers at a function with the CM, state BJP president Vishnudeo Sai and other party leaders in attendance.
While Singh retained Brijmohan Agrawal, Ram Vichar Netam, Rajesh Munat, Amar Agrawal, Lata Usendi Hemchand Yadav and Kedar Kashyap, senior party leaders Punnulal Mohile and Chandrashekhar Sahu are the new faces in the ministry. Nankiram Kanwar and Vikram Usendi returned to the ministry after being dropped in the previous BJP tenure.
Krishnamurthy Bandhi, Higher Education Minister in the previous government, was replaced by another prominent SC leader Punnulal Mohile. While the 12-member Council comprises three members from the upper castes, excluding Brahmins, five tribal leaders found a place in the Cabinet and two ministers hail from the OBC community and one from the from SC Satnami community.
The size of the ministry cannot exceed 13 members, 15 per cent of the total strength of the 90-member assembly as mandated by the 91st amendment to the Constitution. However, the CM preferred to keep one berth vacant because of mounting pressure from a number of legislators to bag a birth in the Council of Ministers. Party sources said that one more minister would be inducted after finalisation of the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Raman Singh retained the portfolios of Finance, General Administration, Energy, Mineral Resources, Commerce and Industry, Information and Biotechnology, Aviation and Public Relations.
Nankiram Kanwar will be the Minister for Home, Jail and Transport while Brijmohan Agrawal will be in-charge of Public Works, School Education, Religious Trusts and Endowments, Culture, Tourism and Legislative Affairs. The lone woman minister Lata Usendi will be in-charge of Women and Child Development, Social Welfare and Sports and Youth Welfare.
