Over a month after Manipur CM Biren Singh was sworn in, six new ministers get portfolios

Five ministers from the BJP and one from the Naga People’s Front were inducted on April 16 though the government was formed on March 21, when Chief Minister N Biren Singh and five others were sworn in.

Manipur ministers Sapam Ranjan, Th Basanta, L Susindro Singh, H Dingo, Letpao Haokip and Khasim Vashum. (Express photo)

More than a month after his government was sworn in, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday allocated portfolios to six ministers—five from the BJP and one from the Naga People’s Front—who were inducted recently.

While Letpao Haokip got tribal affairs and hills, horticulture and soil conservation departments, Dr Sapam Ranjan was allocated the departments of health and family welfare as well as publicity and information. Thounaojam Basanta Singh, son of former Union minister Th Chaoba, was given education, law and legislative affairs while the NPF minister, Kashim Vashum, was allotted the animal husbandry and veterinary as well as transport departments.

Heikham Dingo Singh got social welfare, labour, employment and entrepreneurship and fisheries.

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L Susindro Meitei is the minister for public health engineering, consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

Former speaker Yumnam Khemchand got the departments of municipal administration, housing and development as well as rural development and Panchayati Raj.

Except for Haokip, who held the youth affairs and sports portfolio in the previous BJP-led government, all of them are first-time ministers. The six ministers were sworn in on April 16.

The BJP-led government was formed on March 21 after Biren Singh was sworn in as chief minister for the second term along with five other ministers—Th Biswajit, Govindas Konthoujam, Nemcha Kipgen, Y Khemchand Singh, Th Satyabrata Singh, and the NPF’s Awangbou Newmai.

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