IMPHAL, April 12: The Congress government in the State led by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh effected a cabinet reshuffle today by dropping three ministers and inducting three new faces, besides changing portfolios of some other ministers.
The three axed ministers are Forest minister Th Devendro, Health minister Phungzathang Tonsing and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister Francis Ngajokpa, while those newly inducted are Lamlai (Imphal East) MLA Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, Henglep MLA (Churachandpur) T Manga Vaiphei and Tengnoupal (Chandel) MLA D Korungthang.
State Governor V Shanmuganathan administered the oath of office to the newly inducted ministers at the Banquet Hall of Raj Bhawan.
The swearing in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, MPCC president TN Haokip and the other council of ministers I Hemochandra, Moirangthem Okendro, Kh Ratankumar, Ngamthang Haokip, Govindas Konthoujam and Abdul Nasir.
Speaking on the sideline of the swearing in ceremony, Ibobi said the AICC high command had not interfered in the reshuffle.
The Chief Minister also said the three senior ministers had voluntarily resigned. They are pillars of the Congress party as they have acted selflessly for the party on numerous occasions, he added.
Their act is an advice to the young MLAs who have been handed the responsibilities of being a minister, he added.
Dissatisfaction among family members is natural, but there is always a proper way to resolve any misunderstanding or dissatisfaction, he asserted.
We have to be united, he said.
Meanwhile, the government has also made some changes in the portfolios of the ministers, with the chief secretary issuing a notification to this effect.
Although portfolios of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Abdul Nasir, Ak Mirabai, Govindas Konthoujam and Ngamthang Haokip have remained unchanged; newly inducted minister Ksh Biren has been given both the Works and Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution portfolios; while Science and Technology, PHE and Labour Employment has been handed over to T Manga Vaiphei and D Karungthang has been appointed minister of Health and Family Welfare, GAD and CADA.
Moirangthem Okendro has been replaced as the Education minister by Kh Ratankumar who has also retained the Transport portfolio.
I Hemochandra has been handed the Revenue, Forest and Environment, Law and Legislative Affairs.
Okendro has been given charge of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Economic and Statistics and Kh Ratankumar got Education and Transport respectively.
Today’s swearing in ceremony was also attended by MLAs Amin Shah, N Biren, K Ranjit, N Loken, Fajur Rahim, Gensuanahau, Preshow Shimray, Bira, Surchandra, Yamthong Haokip, Jamhemlung Pamei, Thamarjit, Nandakumar and Kikhonbou Newmai.