Months after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the ration distribution ‘scam’, the West Bengal government on Friday allocated TMC leader Jyoti Priya Mallick’s forest department portfolio to Birbaha Hansda. Hansda is the Minister of State for Forests and Self Help - Self Employment Group (Independent Charge). The portfolio of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction held by Mallick was allocated to Partha Bhowmick, according to a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan. “In terms of Article 166(3) of the Constitution, Hon’ble Governor Dr C V Ananda Bose has relieved Shri Jyoti Priya Mallick, Minister in Charge, Department of Forests and Department of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction of his duties as Minister with immediate effect and has been pleased to reallocate the Departments to Partha Bhowmick and Birbaha Hansda on the advice of the Hon’ble Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee). Minister-in-Charge, Partha Bhowmick’s allocation of Departments are – Department of Irrigation and Waterways and Department of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction," the statement read. In October last year, Mallick was arrested by the central probe agency after marathon raids over alleged irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS) in Bengal. Mallick had held the food and civil supplies portfolio from 2011 to 2021 – when the alleged scam took place.
