Sunetra Pawar, who was sworn in as Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday, has been allocated the state excise, sports and youth welfare, and minority development portfolios, and Waqf Board marking her first major administrative responsibility since assuming office.
The portfolio allocation, announced hours after the expansion and reshuffle of the state council of ministers, places Pawar in charge of departments that carry both significant revenue responsibilities and high public visibility. The state excise department is a key source of income for the Maharashtra government, overseeing liquor policy, licensing and enforcement, while sports and youth welfare shapes grassroots sports development, infrastructure creation and athlete support. The minority development department focuses on welfare schemes, educational initiatives and economic empowerment programmes for minority communities.
Pawar’s induction into the cabinet and the assignment of these portfolios underline the growing political role of the Pawar family within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Though she has been associated with public life for decades, she formally entered electoral politics only recently and was elected to the Rajya Sabha last year. Her elevation to the post of Deputy Chief Minister and the allocation of major departments signal the party leadership’s confidence in her ability to handle politically sensitive and administratively demanding assignments.
Sources in the government said the distribution of portfolios was aimed at balancing experience with newer faces, while also ensuring that key revenue-generating and welfare-oriented departments remain under close political supervision. The excise portfolio, in particular, has often been at the centre of policy debates around taxation, regulation and social impact, making it one of the most closely watched departments in the state.
Pawar is expected to begin reviewing ongoing schemes and policies in her new departments over the coming days. Officials said priority areas could include strengthening enforcement against illicit liquor, improving sports infrastructure at the district level, expanding youth skill-development programmes and accelerating the implementation of minority welfare schemes.
The latest allocation completes the distribution of portfolios among the newly inducted ministers and is seen as the government’s first major administrative step following the cabinet expansion.