Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Friday assigned responsibilities to ministers, retaining responsibilities of key ministries such as home and personnel, besides those not assigned to other legislators.

Basant Soren, the younger son of JMM chief Shibu Soren, is one of the new faces in the 11-member cabinet along with Deepak Birua. Responsible for road construction, building construction and water resources.

Birua (JMM) belongs to the Ho tribe and is assigned to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/OBC Welfare and Transport Department. Bebi Devi, revenue minister in the previous government of Hemant Soren, was responsible for women and child development and social welfare.

In 2023, Devi contested the Dumri by-elections after the death of her husband Jagannath Mahto. There is no change in the responsibilities of Rameshwar Oraon (Congress) as he has been assigned the charge of finance, planning, commercial taxation and food and civil supplies ministries.

Likewise, Alamgir Alam (Congress) retained the ministry of rural development, panchayati raj and rural works. Satyanand Bokta (RJD) was reassigned to the labor department and given charge of the industries wing, while Banner Gupta retained the health and disaster management ministry.

Badal Patraleh will continue to serve as Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.

The affairs of minority welfare, registration and tourism, sports and youth affairs are headed by Hafizul Hassan. On February 2, 67-year-old Champai Soren was sworn in as the 12th chief minister of the state, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satya Satyanand Bhokta was sworn in as minister.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive chairman Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED soon after he resigned as chief minister on January 31.

The JMM-led alliance in the state has 47 MLAs JMM-29, Congress-17 and one RJD in the 81-member Assembly.

The BJP has 26 legislators and the AJSU party has three. Apart from two independent members, the NCP and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) have one member each. There is also one nominated member.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)