Jharkhand CM Champai Soren Assigns Ministerial Portfolios; Holds onto Home and Personnel

GG News Bureau
Ranchi, 17th Feb. Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren assigned portfolios to ministers on Friday, retaining key departments like home and personnel for himself alongside unallocated ministries.

Basant Soren, new to the 11-member cabinet, was entrusted with road construction, building construction, and water resources.

Deepak Birua, another newcomer, received the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/OBC welfare and transport portfolios. Bebi Devi, previously the excise minister, now oversees women & child development and social welfare.

Rameshwar Oraon continues with finance, planning, commercial taxes, and food & civil supplies, while Alamgir Alam retains rural development, panchayati raj, and rural works.

Satyanand Bhokta, reassigned the labour portfolio, also takes charge of the industry department.

Banna Gupta retains health & disaster management, and Badal Patralekh continues as agriculture and animal husbandry minister. Hafizul Hasan is tasked with minorities welfare, registration, tourism, sports, and youth affairs.

Champai Soren, aged 67, assumed office as the 12th chief minister on February 2, following the arrest of Hemant Soren.

The JMM-led alliance holds 47 seats in the 81-member assembly, with the BJP at 26, AJSU Party at three, and one each from the NCP, CPI (ML), and independents, in addition to a nominated member.