Cabinet reshuffle: Poll-bound Chhattisgarh witnessed a cabinet reshuffle on Friday (July 14), ahead of the Assembly elections due year-end. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel reshuffled his cabinet following the induction of former state Congress chief Mohan Markam as a minister.
According to an official notification, newly-appointed deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo has been assigned one more department - Energy - along with Public Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, 20-point implementation and Commercial Taxes (GST) which he already held. Chief Minister Baghel earlier held the Energy department.
Markam has been assigned the Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, and Minorities Development departments, which was earlier held by Presmsai Singh Tekam who resigned on Thursday.
Two other departments held by Tekam -- School Education and Cooperative -- have been allotted to Ravindra Choubey, who will also continue to hold Panchayat and Rural Development, Parliamentary Affairs, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Water Resources, and Anicut departments.
Agriculture Development, Farmers Welfare, and Bio-Technology departments which were previously held by Choubey have been given to Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu.
Sahu will continue to hold his existing portfolios of Home, Jail, Public Works Department, and Tourism.
Earlier in the day, Markam (56), an MLA from Kondagaon, took oath as minister at Raj Bhavan.
Markam was on Wednesday replaced with the party's Bastar MP Deepak Baij.
The strength of the cabinet of Chhattisgarh cannot exceed 13 including the chief minister, according to the Constitutional provision.
(WIth PTI inputs)
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