West Bengal Government Allocates Portfolios to New Ministers
New Delhi: On Monday, newly elected Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assigned portfolios to five ministers within his administration in West Bengal. Dilip Ghosh will oversee the departments of rural development, panchayats, and animal resources, while Agnimitra Paul will lead the women and child welfare initiative.
Ashok Kirtania has been appointed to the food department, Khudiram Tudu has received the backward class welfare department, and Nisith Pramanik has been assigned to oversee North Bengal development, sports, and youth welfare.
Earlier that day, Chief Minister Adhikari announced a series of significant policy and administrative measures during his cabinet’s first meeting, which included newly sworn-in ministers and senior officials. Among these decisions, West Bengal will now be integrated into the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health initiative, land will be allocated to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing along the border, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) criminal law framework will be implemented.
In a media address, Adhikari emphasized that the state would adopt several flagship central government schemes, such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, PM SHRI, and PM Vishwakarma.
The Chief Minister also introduced the proposed Annapurna Bhandar scheme, which is expected to provide eligible women with Rs 3,000 per month through direct bank transfers, fulfilling a promise made by the BJP during the election campaign. This amount represents a significant increase from the previous Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, where women from general categories received Rs 1,500 monthly, while beneficiaries from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes received Rs 1,700.
Additionally, Adhikari announced the rollout of welfare initiatives such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Ujjwala Yojana within the state.
