Guwahati, Dec 9: The four newly-inducted ministers were allocated portfolios on Monday amidst a reallocation of the departments of the 18-member Council of Ministers in Assam.
Newly inducted minister Prasanta Phukan has been allocated the power; skill, employment and entrepreneurship; medical education and research departments (Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Yojana and other subjects of the department as and when entrusted by the chief minister from time to time).
Newly inducted minister Kaushik Rai has been allocated the food, public distribution and consumer affairs; mines and minerals departments and the Barak Valley Development Department.
Krishnendu Paul, another newly inducted minister, has been allocated the animal husbandry and veterinary; fishery; public works roads department (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and other subjects of the department as and when entrusted by Chief Minister from time to time).
Besides, Rupesh Gowala, who was also inducted in the Council of Ministers, has been allocated labour welfare; tea tribes and Adivasi welfare; and home (prisons, home guards and civil defence and other subjects of the department as and when entrusted by Chief Minister from time to time) departments.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has retained the home department, apart from holding charge of personnel, public works buildings and national highways, public works roads, and medical education and research departments.
Notably, the state Cabinet was expanded on December 7 amid growing calls to address the workload on the ministers, who had been handling multiple departments in the past three years.
Besides, the expansion was also aimed at improving regional representation ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in the state. Four MLAs, two from Upper Assam and two from Barak Valley, were inducted in the Council of Ministers.
This was the second Cabinet expansion since 2021. The first expansion took place in June 2022 when two BJP MLAs – Nandita Garlosa and Jayanta Malla Baruah – were inducted in the Council of Ministers.
