Maha govt: Sena gets Home, NCP Finance, Cong revenue

A fortnight after he took over the reins of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday allocated the portfolios to his six-member team.

While the Shiv Sena will control the home department, the revenue and finance departments have been given to Congress and NCP, respectively.

The portfolios have been allocated in a fashion to keep the balance of power intact.

On November 28, 59-year-old Uddhav, the unanimous leader of Maha Vikas Aghadi, was sworn in as a chief minister along with a six-member Cabinet — Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai (Shiv Sena), Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil (NCP) and Babasaheb Thorat and Dr Nitin Raut (Congress).

The Winter Session of the Maharashtra legislature starts in Nagpur on December 16 and before that the allocation of ministries was essential.

The expansion of ministry is likely to be held on November 22 and NCP president Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar could be sworn in as Thackeray’s deputy.

Uddhav’s son Aditya might become a junior minister.

Shinde has been allocated portfolios of Home, Urban Development, Environment, Water Supply & Sanitation, Soil & Water Conservation, Tourism, Public Works (Public Enterprises), Parliamentary Affairs, Ex-Servicemen Welfare.

Desai will head Industries, Mining, Higher & Technical Education, Sports & Youth Affairs, Agriculture, Employment Guarantee Scheme, Horticulture, Transport, Marathi Language, Cultural Affairs, Protocol, Earthquake Rehabilitation, Ports and Salt Land development ministries.

NCP’S Bhujbal (NCP) will hold the charge of Rural Development, Water Resources & Command Area Development, Social Justice & Special Assistance, State Excise, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Food & Drug Administration.

Patil will look after Finance & Planning, Housing, Public Health, Cooperation & Marketing, Food & Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection, Labour and Minorities Development.

Thorat has been allocated Revenue, Energy, Non-Conventional Energy, Medical Education, School Education, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries.

Raut (Congress) will look after Public Works (excluding Public Undertakings), Tribal Development, Women & Child Development, Textiles, Relief & Rehabilitation, Other Backward Classes, Social & Educational Backward Classes, Notified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes and Special Backward Classes Welfare.