Gujarat portfolios: Nitin Patel gets Finance; Anandi retains revenue

Chief Minister Narendra Modi allocated portfolios to his 16-member team which was sworn on December 26, after the BJP retained power in Gujarat with a thumping victory in the recent assembly polls.

Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday allocated portfolios to his 16-member team which was sworn on December 26, after the BJP retained power in Gujarat with a thumping victory in the recent assembly polls. The portfolios were distributed after the first meeting of the council of ministers of the newly formed government.

Modi has kept with himself important portfolios like home, industry, information, ports, general administration, science and technology, climate change, Narmada, Kalpsar and all policies. While senior leader Nitin Patel who was holding water resources and urban development ministry in the last government, got an elevation as Finance Minister of the state. He has also been given other important departments like Health and Family Welfare and Medical education. Modi`s close aide Anandi Patel has retained Revenue Ministry as well as road and buildings. She has been given additional charge of urban development in the new cabinet. Raman Vora, who was Education minister in the last government has been given Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry along with Sports and Youth and Cultural affairs. Charge of the Education minister has been given to Bhupendrasinh Chudasama along with law and Food and Civil Supplies ministry. Saurabh Patel, who was elevated from Minister of State to cabinet rank has been given Ministry of Energy and petrochemicals, planning, tourism and labour and employment. Tribal minister in Modi government Ganpat Vasava, Speaker in the last Assembly, has been given charge of Forest and Environment ministry along with Tribal development, Women and Child development and Parliamentary affairs. Cabinet minister Babu Bokhiria was given charge of water resources, agriculture, cooperatives, animal husbandry, fisheries and cow protection departments. Nine ministers of states (MoS) in the Modi government were also given various charges as junior ministers. Rajni Patel, a new induction in the Modi ministry was given charge of MoS Home. In Gujarat, it has been a trend since last many years that the Home department is kept by chief ministers. In such a case, MoS home becomes an important portfolio. Tainted minister Purshottam Solanki, who is facing charges in the Rs 400 crore fisheries contract, and was fisheries minister in the last government has been made junior minister of Labour and employment department. The second women minister of Modi government Vasuben Trivedi has been given charge as MoS Education and Women and Child Development. PTI