Maha CM allots portfolios, BJP takes plum ministries

Mumbai, Aug 14: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday allocated portfolios in the 20-member state Cabinet with ally Bharatiya Janata Party grabbing a majority of the coveted ministries. Shinde will handle Urban Development, GAD, IT, PWD (Public Projects), Transport and other departments, as per an official announcement. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been given a bagful of big portfolios, including the crucial Home, Finance and Planning, Law and Justice, Water Resources, Energy, Housing and Protocol. The much-awaited distribution of portfolios came five days after the CM expanded his Cabinet on Tuesday by inducting 18 ministers, nine each from Shiv Sena Shinde Group and BJP, though there are no women in the team so far, after Shinde and Fadnavis took oath on June 30. The portfolio allocation was announced after approval from Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, even as the Leader of Opposition, NCP's Ajit Pawar, the Congress and the Shiv Sena took regular potshots at Shinde-Fadnavis for the delay in assigning responsibilities to the ministers. BJP's share in portfolios: Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil - Revenue, Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry Sudhir Mungantiwar - Forests, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries Chandrakant Patil - Higher and Technical Education, Textiles and Parliamentary Affairs Vijaykumar Gavit - Tribal Development Girish Mahajan - Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Medical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare Mangal Prabhat Lodha - Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Women and Child Development Ravindra Chavan - Public Works (excluding Public Enterprises), Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Atul Save - Cooperation, Other Backward and Bahujan Welfare Suresh Khade - Labour. Shinde Group's share in portfolios: Gulabrao Patil - Water Supply and Sanitation Dadaji Bhuse - Ports and Mines Sanjay Rathod - Food and Drug Administration Sandipan Bhumre - Employment Guarantee Scheme and Horticulture Uday Samant - Industry Tanaji Sawant - Public Health and Family Welfare. Abdul Sattar - Agriculture Deepak Kesarkar - School Education & Marathi Language Shambhuraj Desai - State Excise The other ministries not assigned to anyone shall be handled by Shinde till the next round of Cabinet expansion scheduled after the upcoming Legislature Session. These include Information and Public Relations; Marketing; Social Justice and Special Assistance; Relief and Rehabilitation; Disaster Management; Soil and Water Conservation; Environment and Climate Change; Minority and Wakf. (IANS)