SHILLONG, MAR 7: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday allotted porfolios to his council of ministers keeping finance, personnel, political, cabinet affairs and others to himself.
The four ministers from the National People’s Party (NPP) were awarded with plum portfolios.
The senior-most minister in the cabinet, Prestone Tynsong got Public Work Department (Roads).
Tynsong, who was also a former minister in the previous Congress-led government, will also head the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Housing, Parliamentary Affairs and Labour departments.
Conrad’s elder brother James K Sangma, a first-time minister got the Home (police) ministry. He will also be looking after Home (Jail), Home (Passport), Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, District Council Affairs and Law departments.
Former Congress leader Sniawbhalang Dhar was made in-charge of transport, commerce & industries, community & rural development (C&RD) and soil & water conservation.
Another former Congress leader, Comingone Ymbon has been made to look after PWD (buildings), general administration department (GAD) and fisheries.
BJP leader Alexander L Hek was given health and family welfare, a department held by him earlier in Mukul’s cabinet. He will also head the information and public relations and arts & culture.
UDP leader Metbah Lyngdoh got water resources, tourism, excise and home guards & civil defence.
His colleague in the party, Lahkmen Rymbui was given charge over forest & environment, education and border area development (BAD), while the youngest minister in the cabinet Kyrmen Shylla got revenue & disaster management, social welfare, printing & stationery.
PDF leader Banteidor Lyngdoh was given charge over agriculture, horticulture, sports & youth affairs, sericulture & weaving while his colleague in the party Hamletson Dohling got urban affairs including municipal administration, information and technology.
HSPDP MLA Samlin Malngiang will be heading the public health engineering (PHE), secretariat administration (SAD) and legal metrology.
National People’s Party (NPP) national president Conrad K Sangma, who took oath as the new chief minister of Meghalaya on Tuesday, also chaired the first meeting of the newly formed councils of ministers today. His team has eleven cabinet ministers.
In the recently concluded assembly polls, the NPP, which fails to cross the half-way mark was able to form the new government with the support of 34 MLAs which include 19 NPP, 6 UDP, 4 PDF, 2 HSPDP, 2 BJP, and one Independent Samuel M Sangma.
Later, the strength of the newly formed NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government rose to 36 with the support extended by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Saleng A Sangma and another independent Lambor Malngiang.
By Our Reporter
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