Raman to woo voters with 9 ministers in LS polls

Raipur, December 18

With slightly over three months remaining for general elections, Chhattisgarh Chief minister Raman Singh on Wednesday made it evident that he would be wooing voters for BJP to wrest power at Centre with nine ministers. He held first meeting of the cabinet after swearing-in ceremony today and distributed portfolios.

The CM has himself has kept 15 departments, some of which would be distributed to the new ministers who would inducted during cabinet expansion in June-July after Lok Sabha polls. He has indicated that the remaining ministerial berths would be entrusted to best three performing MLAs in upcoming polls.

As expected, the key portfolio of home has been given to tribal MLA and State BJP president Ramsewak Paikra. In previous term, Nankiram Kanwar was the home minister but he lost in recent polls. Before Kanwar, the department was held first by Brijmohan Agrawal and then Ramvichar Netam from BJP during 2003-2008 and Nandkumar Patel from Congress from 2000-2003. Paikra will be looking after two more departments – jail and PHE.

The BJP’s old warrior Brijmohan Agrawal, who posted victory in assembly polls for sixth consecutive time, will be dealing new departments - water resources and agriculture along with four other portfolios. While water resources department was held by Ramvichar Netam in previous term, the agriculture department was with Chandrashekhar Sahu. Both Netam and Sahu lost this time.

Another significant portfolio panchayat and rural development has been given to Ajay Chandrakar who had held it during 2003-2008. In last polls, Chandrakar had failed to save his seat. He will also be responsible for parliamentary affairs department that was with him during BJP’s first tenure. Besides, he would be incharge of tourism and culture departments.

PWD, the big-budget is back to Rajesh Munat after five years. Besides, he will be handling the old portfolios – housing and environment and transport.

Despite health department remaining in controversy due to scams and grafts in previous term under Amar Agrawal, the CM had decided not to change his portfolio. However, the CM has snatched urban administration department from Agrawal and kept with himself.

The young minister Kedar Kashyap, who had drawn flak last year for not posing seriousness in maintaining government owned ashram schools that led to minor girls’ gangrape case in Jhaliyamari under Kanker district, has elevated in Raman Singh cabinet and he would now be handling school education department.

Among other ministers, while Punnulal Mohle will continue with food, civil supplies and consumer protection department, new faces Premprakash Pandey and Ramsheela Sahu will be looking after Revenue and women and child development departments along with a couple of other portfolios.

Ministers	Portfolios
CM Raman Singh	GAD, finance, department of planning, economics and statistics, IT, energy, mineral resources, public relations, commerce and industries, urban administration, law and legal affairs, aviation, sports, forest, PSUs, grievance redressal
Ramsewak Paikra	Home, jail, PHE
Brijmohan Agrawal	Agriculture, WRD, ayacut, fisheries, animal husbandry, religious trust and religion
Amar Agrawal	Health and family welfare, health education, commercial tax, labour
Punnulal Mohle	Food, civil supplies and consumer protection, rural industries, cooperative, 20-point programme
Rajesh Munat	PWD, housing and environment, transport
Kedar Kashyap	School education, SC and ST development, backward and minority development
Ajay Chandrakar	Panchayat and rural development, tourism, culture, parliamentary affairs
Premprakash Pandey	Revenue and disaster management, rehabilitation, higher education, technical education and manpower planning, science and technology
Ramsheela Sahu	Women and child development, social welfare