Nitish retains home department as portfolios allocated

Patna: A day after taking oath for a new term along with his ministerial colleagues, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday allocated portfolios among them, keeping with himself home, general administration, vigilance and three more departments.

Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad got finance, commercial tax, environment, forest and disaster management, urban development and information technology departments.

Another Deputy CM Renu Devi got panchayati raj, backward classes development, ECB and industry portfolios.

Ashok Chaudhary got the charge of building construction, social welfare, minority affairs, and Mewa Lal Chaudhary the education portfolio. Interestingly, Chaudhary had lost the Cabinet birth last time after his name cropped up in an alleged scam in the recruitment of lecturers in an agriculture university.

Vijay Kumar Chaudhary got the charge of rural development, rural engineering, water resources, information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs.

Sheela Kumari got transport, and Santosh Kumar Sharan SC/ST affairs and minor irrigation.

Mukesh Sahani is the new Minister for animal husbandry and fisheries.

Mangal Pandey has retained the health portfolio, apart from road construction, art and culture.

Amrendra Pratap Singh has got the agriculture, cooperatives and sugarcane portfolios.

Ram Preet Paswan has got the charge of public health engineering and Ram Surat Kumar the revenue and law portfolios.

Jivesh Kumar will shoulder the responsibility of tourism, mines and labour departments.