KOHIMA: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday took away the Roads and Bridges Department from Deputy CM Yanthungo Patton and reassigned it to NDPP MLA H Chuba Chang. Rio and Chang were ministers in the then SC Jamir-led Congress government from 1998 to 2003.
Chang got elected uncontested in the by-election to the Noksen assembly seat in Tuensang district in April last year. Rio had appointed Chang as Advisor for Law and Justice, and State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) on February 9.
A notification issued by Chief Secretary J Alam said Chang has been relieved as an advisor, and assigned the Roads and Bridges Department, which was held by Patton. Patton, a BJP MLA, is now left with only one department -- Home.
Meanwhile, Rio has reassigned SCERT to MLA KT Sukhalu, who is the advisor for School Education. The development, which is raising speculation about the relation between the NDPP and BJP, comes months ahead of the state elections, due early next year.
However, neither of the two parties commented on the reshuffle.