KOLKATA: Rubbishing media reports about the possible dissolution of the state cabinet, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that a reshuffle was on the cards, with four to five new faces expected to get inducted into the council of ministers.
Bengal is also set to get seven new districts. "The state cabinet okayed the proposal today," Banerjee said. The new districts -- Berhampore, Kandi, Sunderbans, Bashirhat, Ichamati, Ranaghat and Bishnupur -- will take the total number to 30.
"The decision was taken to ensure smooth administrative operations," a senior official of the state government said.
Banerjee also said that several departments were currently functioning without any dedicated minister, and it wasn't possible for her to shoulder these responsibilities alone.
"We have to reshuffle our Cabinet. But (I) do not have any plan to dissolve the Cabinet and come up with a new one. There are several departments which have no one at the helm. I alone cannot shoulder (the) responsibilities of all these departments," Banerjee said.
"We will introduce four to five new faces in the Cabinet. The reshuffle will be carried out on Wednesday," the chief minister added.
Departments of Panchayat, Public Health Engineering, Consumer Affairs & Self Help Group are currently looked after by Banerjee.
After Partha Chatterjee was relieved of his ministerial duties, following his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the school job scam, portfolios he held "in industries and parliamentary affairs" were also taken over by him the TMC boss.