Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday allocated portfolios to his newly sworn-in Council of Ministers, keeping with him key departments like Hydropower, PWD, General Administration and other departments not assigned to any Minister.
Khandu had taken oath as the 11th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh for the third consecutive time on Thursday last along with his Council of Ministers after his party, BJP, returned to power for the third time on the trot.
Eight of the 12-member Khandu Cabinet are first timers with Dasanglu Pul being the lone female Minister. Seven others are Pasang Dorjee Sona, Biyuram Wahge, Nyato Dukam, Gabriel Denwang Wangsu, Balo Raja, Kento Jini and Ojing Tasing.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has been re-assigned the key Finance, Planning and Investment portfolios, besides being entrusted with Tax & Excise, State Lotteries, Economics & Statistics, Power and Non Conventional Energy Resources.
Mama Natung, former Environment & Forests Minister, has been tasked with the all-important Home and Inter State Border Affairs Departments this time along with the Public Health Engineering & Water Supply, and the Department of Indigenous Affairs.
Biyuram Wahge has been allocated the Health & Family Welfare, and Water Resources Departments, while former Speaker Pasang Dorjee Sona, who got ministerial berth for the first time, has been entrusted with Education, Rural Works, Parliamentary Affairs, Tourism, and Libraries.
Journalist-turned-politician Gabriel D Wangsu has been provided with Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Dairy Development, Fisheries, Food & Civil Supplies, Legal Metrology, and Consumer Affairs departments.
Nyato Dukam has been given the charges of Commerce & Industries (Industries, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Textile & Handicrafts, Trade & Commerce and Sericulture), Labour & Employment, and Information, Public Relations & Printing departments.
Wangki Lowang got Environment & Forests, Geology, Mining & Minerals, and Department of Tirap, Changlang and Longding (DoTCL), while Dasanglu Pul has been assigned Women & Child Development; Cultural Affairs (Art & Culture, Research, and Gazetteers); and Science & Technology.
Lawyer-turned-politician Kento Jini got Law, Legislative and Justice, Social Justice, Empowerment & Tribal Affairs, and Sports & Youth Affairs, while Balo Raja has been given Urban Affairs (Urban Development, Town Planning, Urban Local Bodies and Housing); Land Management; and Civil Aviation.
Minister Ojing Tasing has been provided with Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Cooperation, Transport (Secretariat Transport, Transport, Inland Water Transport, and State Transport Services).
