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After the formation of the new government in West Bengal, the news of division of portfolio among the ministers has come to light. Dilip Ghosh has been given the responsibility of Rural Development, Panchayat and Livestock Department, while Agnimitra Paul has been given the responsibility of Women and Child Welfare Department.

Ashok Kirtaniya has been given the Food Department and Khudiram Tudu has been given the Backward Classes Welfare Department. Along with this, Nisith Pramanik has been assigned the North Bengal Development, Sports and Youth Welfare Department. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has kept the Home Department with himself.

Earlier, the first meeting of the newly formed Cabinet of West Bengal was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. It was decided to allot land within 45 days to the Border Security Force (BSF) for erecting barbed fencing along the currently unfenced international border with Bangladesh.

Regarding the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that the promise of handing over the land to BSF within 45 days of the formation of the new cabinet was made in the BJP’s resolution manifesto and Home Minister Amit Shah had also announced the same. Speaking to media persons after the meeting, the Chief Minister said, “This decision was approved in the first meeting of the new cabinet.”

The second important decision passed in the meeting will be the implementation of the centrally sponsored health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat in West Bengal. The previous Trinamool Congress government had not implemented the scheme on the grounds that the central government scheme was unnecessary as the state had its own health insurance scheme ‘Swasth Sathi’ in place.

The CM said that in the cabinet meeting, it has been decided to start the process of including the state in several other centrally sponsored schemes, which include Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishak Bima Yojana, PM Shri Yojana, Vishwakarma Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana and Ujjwala Yojana.

He said that district magistrates have been instructed to send all the applications to the Union Ministry as soon as possible. He also assured that any existing welfare scheme started during the tenure of the previous government will not be discontinued.

CM Suvendu Adhikari said that no ongoing social project will be stopped, however, non-Indians or deceased persons will not be given the benefits of these projects.