Guwahati: Following the induction of two new ministers on June 8, the new Cabinet Ministers have taken oaths today and allotted the departments. Additionally, the portfolios of a few of the already existing ministers have also been re-shuffled.

Nalbari MLA, Jayanta Malla Baruah, has been allotted the Departments of Public Health Engineering; Skill Employment and Entrepreneurship; and Tourism. And Haflong MLA Nandita Gorlosa has been given the Departments of Power; Cooperation; Mines and Minerals; Indigenous and Tribal; Faith and Cultural Department.

Below is the detailed list of the  ministers’ portfolio:

1. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma: Home Dept; Personnel Dept; Public Works Dept; any other department not allotted to any other minister.

2. Ranjeet Kumar Dass: Panchayat and Rural Development Dept; Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Dept; General Administration Dept.

3. Atul Bora: Agriculture Dept; Horticulture Dept; Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Dept; Border Area Development Dept; Implementation of Assam Accord Dept

4.  Urkhao Gwra Brahma: Handloom and Textile Dept; Soil Conservation Dept; Welfare of Bodoland Dept

5. Chandra Mohan Patowary: Environment and Forest Dept.; Act East Policy Affairs Dept.; Welfare of Minorities Dept.

6. Parimal Shuklabaidya: Transport Dept., Fisheries Dept., and Excise Dept.

7. Keshab Mahanta: Health and Family Welfare Dept.; Medical Education and Research Dept.; Science and Technology Dept; Information Technology Dept.

8. Ranuj Pegu: Education (Higher, Secondary, and Elementary) Dept; Tribal Welfare Dept; Indigenous and Tribal Faith and Cultural Dept (Directorates of Library and Museum)

9. Ashok Singhal: Housing and Urban Affairs DEPT; Irrigation Dept.

10. Jogen Mohan: Revenue and Disaster Management Dept., Hills Area  Development Dept.

11. Sanjay Kishan: Welfare of Tea Tribes Dept., Labour Welfare Dept.

12. Ajanta Neog: Finance Dept; Women and Child Development Dept.

13. Pijush Hazarika: Water Resource Dept.; Information and Public Relations Dept.; Social Justice and Empowerment Dept.

14. Bimal Bora: Industries and Commerce and Public Enterprise Dept.; Cultural Welfare Dept.

Following the addition of the two new ministers, the Assam Cabinet is presently 16 members strong.

As per Article 164 (1A) of the Indian Constitution, the total number of ministers in a state cannot exceed 15 percent of the total number of members of its legislative assembly. Assam, which has 126 members in the assembly, can have a maximum of 18 ministers, including the chief minister. As such, two seats presently remain vacant in the state cabinet.