Assam Chief Minister Allocates Departments to New Cabinet Members

Department Allocations Announced

Just two days after taking the oath for a second consecutive term, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, assigned departments to four ministers who were sworn in alongside him. The allocation was made public through a note issued by Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya. The note stated, 'I have received your letter... proposing the allocation of departments to the council of ministers... I approve the proposal you suggested.' Among the newly appointed ministers is former Union Minister Rameshwar Teli, who hails from the tea garden tribal community, and he has been assigned the departments of Transformation and Development, Labour Welfare, and Tea Garden Tribal and Tribal Welfare.

Ajanta Niyog, the only female minister in the current cabinet, has been given charge of the Tourism and Women and Child Development departments. Previously, Niyog managed both the Women and Child Development and Finance departments in the last government. Atul Bora, the president of the Assam Gana Parishad, a coalition partner, has been allocated the departments of Panchayat and Rural Development, Implementation of the Assam Accord, Border Security and Development, and Excise. In the previous government, Bora oversaw Agriculture and Horticulture, Border Security and Development, and the Implementation of the Assam Accord.

Sarma has yet to clarify which departments he will retain. Traditionally, departments not assigned to any minister remain under the Chief Minister's purview.

Chara Boro from the Bodoland People's Front has been entrusted with the Transport and Bodoland Area Welfare departments, which he also managed in the previous cabinet. Sarma had earlier announced that Ranjit Kumar Das, who held the Panchayat and Rural Development and Tourism departments in the last cabinet, will be the new Speaker of the Assam Assembly. On Wednesday, the Chief Minister mentioned that the cabinet would be expanded around the first week of June, following the conclusion of the first session of the newly elected assembly.