Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda tonight gave Cabinet status to all his ministerial colleagues and allocated portfolios, giving charge of Home Ministry to Independent MLA Sudesh Mahto and Finance to state BJP chief Raghuvar Das, besides rewarding five Independents with attractive ministries.Kamlesh Singh, whose absence from the Assembly helped Munda win vote of confidence on March 12, got the charge of Water Resources and Food and Civil Supplies Department.Madhu Koda, another Independent, will look after Mines, Geology, Cooperative and Parliamentary Affairs, while Enos Ekka has been given Rural Development and Transport. Another Independent, Hari Narayan Rai got Forest and Environment.Sources said Mahato, who belongs to the All Jharkhand Students’ Union but contested Assembly polls as an Independent, has also been allotted PWD, Building Construction, Sports and Culture, while his party colleague Chandra Prakash Choudhury has been made the Minister for Science and Technology, Land Reforms, Revenue and Registration.JD(U)’s Radha Krishna Kishore has been given charge of Drinking Water and Sanitation, while his party leader Ramesh Singh Munda has been made in-charge of Welfare Department. BJP’s Pradeep Yadav has been allocated Human Resource Development and Raghuvar Das has been put in charge of Sales Tax and Urban Development, besides Finance.Munda has retained the rest of the portfolios, the sources said, adding that a notification on this has been sent to the Governor.Nda woos Joba ManjhiRanchi: The NDA, which has a slender edge over the UPA in the Jharkhand Assembly, is wooing ugdp mla Joba Manjhi to join the coalition. “I have not spoken to her, but talks are going on.The nda welcomes any mla intending to support our coalition,” BJP state chief and newly-appointed minister Raghuvar Das told a press conference here. —PTI
