Vijay Rupani takes charge in Gujrat

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday allocated portfolios to his Council of Ministers and kept the key home department with himself as he took charge of his new job.

Rupani, who was sworn-in as the state Chief Minister on Sunday, after his predecessor Anandiben Patel resigned from the position, presided over the first Cabinet meeting.

He also had a lengthy discussion with his deputy Nitin Patel here.

Like Anandiben, Rupani has kept major portfolios with himself while Nitin Patel has been re-alloted the Finance department, which he used to handle under Narendra Modi-led government and was later taken from him by Anandiben Patel after the change of guard in 2014.

"Our Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held a detailed discussion with me and finalised the portfolios in consultation with our party leaders," said Patel.

Before taking charge, Rupani paid his respects to the statutes of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and B R Ambedkar.

Portfolios to be handled by Rupani include General Administration, Home, Administrative Reforms and Training, Planning, Industries, Mines and Minerals, Ports, Climate Change, Science and Technology and Information & Broadcasting.

Rupani will also look after the portfolios which are not allocated to any other minister, an official release said.

Nitin Patel has been given Finance, Urban Development and Urban Housing, Roads and Building, Capital Project, Narmada, Kalpsar and Petrochemicals.

Yesterday, eight cabinet and 16 state-ranked ministers took oath.

Senior cabinet minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama has been given charge of Revenue, Education (Primary, Secondary and Adult), Higher and Technical Education and Law and Parliamentary Affairs department.

Portfolios of Tourism, Tribal Welfare and Forests has been allocated to Ganpat Vasava.

BJP's Dalit face in the cabinet, Atmaram Parmar, has been given Social Justice and Empowerment department, which includes welfare of Scheduled Castes as well as OBCs. He was also given the portfolio of Women and Child Development department.

Newly inducted minister Chiman Saparaiya has been given Agriculture and Energy while Babu Bokhiria has been alloted Water Supply, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Cow protection, Civil Aviation and Salt Industry.

Dilip Thakor has been alloted Labour and Employment, Disaster Management and Pilgrimage Development.

Jayesh Radadiya, who is the youngest cabinet ranked minister, has been entrusted with portfolios of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Cottage Industry and Printing.

Among the 16 state-ranked ministers, Shanker Chaudhary has been given independent charge of Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education and Environment. He will also serve as MoS for Urban Development.

Pradipsinh Jadeja has been made MoS for Home and Energy departments.

He has also been given independent charge of Police Housing, Border Security, Civil Defence, Prisons, Prohibition and Excise, Law and Judiciary, Religious and Pilgrimage Places, Coordination of NGOs, Non-Resident Gujaratis and Protocol.

Jayantibhai Kavadiya has retained his earlier portfolios of Panchayats, Rural Development and Rural Housing.

MoS Nanu Vanani has been given independent charge of Water Resources, Primary and Secondary Education.

Parshottam Solanki has been given portfolio of Fisheries Department while MoS Jasa Barad has been given Water Supply, Civil Aviation and Salt Industry.

Bachu Khabad will handle Animal Husbandry and Cow Protection department while Jaydrathsinh Parmar has been alloted Road and Building and Higher and Technical Education.

Ishwar Patel has been alloted Cooperation while Vallabh Kakadiya has been given Road Transport as an independent charge.

Advocate-turned-politician from Vadodara, Rajendra Trivedi, has been given independent charge of Sports, Youth and Cultural Affairs Department. He was also given Pilgrimage Development department as MoS.

Keshaji Chauhan has been given the portfolio of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes(SEBC), also known as Other Backward Classes(OBCs) Welfare department.

Rohit Patel has been made MoS for Industries, Mines and Minerals and Finance department.

Vallabh Vaghasiya has been alloted Agriculture and Urban Housing Department while Shabdsharan Tadvi has been given the portfolio of Forest and Tribal Welfare department.

Nirmala Wadhwani, the only women in Rupani's Cabinet, has been made MoS for Women and Child Development department.