Suvendu keeps Home, Finance as he fast-tracks border fencing in first Cabinet meeting

Former Union Minister of State and Mathabhanga MLA Nisith Pramanik has been allotted North Bengal Development Department and Sports and Youth Affairs Department.

Tribal leader and first-time MLA Kshudiram Tudu has been made minister for Tribal Development, and will also hold the charge of Backward Class Welfare Department and Minority and Madrasa Education.

Matua leader Ashok Kirtania, who was re-elected from Bongaon Uttar Assembly seat, has been made Minister for Food and Supplies Department and Cooperation Department.

Sources in the party said that more MLAs are likely to be sworn in as ministers soon. Earlier in the day, the Cabinet, in its first meeting, decided to hand over all pending land required for border fencing to the Border Security Force (BSF) within 45 days.

After the meeting that lasted for over an hour, Chief Minister Adhikari, flanked by senior Cabinet colleagues, said his new administration is committed to “susashan” (good governance) and “suraksha” (security).

Implementing the BJP’s promises to curb infiltration from Bangladesh, Adhikari said, “The previous (Mamata Banerjee) government stalled the border-fencing project to protect illegal infiltrators. We have removed those roadblocks. The transfer process will begin immediately, and the Cabinet has empowered the chief secretary and the secretary of the state’s land and land revenue department to complete the process within the next 45 days.”

The chief minister said that he was earlier told that around 90 per cent of the land required to complete the border fencing exercise was already under state acquisition. “As a chief minister, I will have to go through the papers to figure out the exact status of the land required, and for which I will need some more time,” he added.