KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said there would be cabinet reshuffle on August 3 prompted by arrest of suspended Trinamool Congress heavyweight Partha Chatterjee, who was minister-in-charge of four departments, and death of two senior politicians Subrata Mukherjee and Sadhan Pande. She also announced of formation of seven new districts in the state.
The CM, after holding cabinet meeting on Monday, said five to six new faces would be inducted in her ministry while some ministers would be moved out and given organisational responsibility. “We will have to reshuffle the cabinet because Partha Chatterjee is behind bar and senior ministers like Mukherjee and Pande passed away,” said Mamata refuting speculations that she would dissolve the entire cabinet and a fresh cabinet will be sworn in. Mamata said after the death of two senior ministers, she is in-charge of most of the departments. “I cannot do everything. We have to divide the work,” she said.
The reshuffle was expected as the ruling party believes that the legal battle of Chatterjee, who was among the key cabinet members, will continue for long. Chatterjee was arrested in connection with alleged recruitment scam in schools during his tenure as the education minister.
Before his arrest, Chatterjee held crucial departments, which include commerce and industries and parliamentary affairs. The ruling party changed a number of district presidents and chairman and new faces were given responsibility. “There will be more changes in the party’s district-level hierarchy,’’ said a senior leader of the TMC.
7 new districts carved out
The Mamata Banerjee government on Monday decided to carve out seven new districts in the state. Two new districts will be carved out North 24-Parganas, said Mamata. “In South 24-Parganas, Sunderbans will be a new district. Murshidabad will have two more districts and one in Bankura,” Mamata said after a cabinet meeting