CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Friday morning took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time and it was the sixth state government formed by the DMK.
"I, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin..," he said expanding his initials while taking oath at Raj Bhavan in Chennai.
At 69, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin is the oldest first-time Chief Minister in the history of Tamil Nadu. Be that as it may, he has over five decades of political experience. Son of veteran politician M Karunanidhi, he was no stranger to politics growing up. Over the years, he has donned many roles in the State’s administrative machinery, with some of them being Deputy CM and the Opposition leader. It is also to be noted that it is Stalin’s seventh term as an MLA.
Along with him, 33 Cabinet colleagues (see full list below) were also sworn in by Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Leaders from alliance parties including Congress's P Chidambaram, MDMK chief Vaiko, KS Alagiri of Congress, Lok Sabha MPs Dhayanidhi Maran, Kanimozhi, MLAs of DMK and family members, former CM O Panneerselvam, GK Mani of PMK, actor Kamal Haasan of MNM, I-PAC founder Prasanth Kishore, high court judges and top state officials took part in the ceremony.
Besides, MK Stalin’s wife Durga, his son and MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin and others took part.
Earlier, MK Stalin started to Raj Bhavan from his house at 8.45 am and he reached the Raj Bhavan around 8.55 am. He was welcomed by Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan by offering a flower bouquet.
At 9 am, Governor Banwarilal Purohit reached the function venue and he was welcomed by chief MK Stalin by offering the flower bouquet. Subsequently, MK Stalin introduced the ministers. Later, Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan invited Governor to administer the oath and secrecy to the elected members.
During the swear-in-ceremony, the participants were frequently requested to adhere to COVID protocols and the function commenced at 9.02 am and ended by 10.15 am.
Stalin is likely to reach the Secretariat after assuming charge as the Chief Minister and is expected that he will sign an important announcement.
Here are the cabinet members and their portfolis:
1. M K Stalin: Chief Minister Public, General Administration, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Other All India Service, District Revenue Officers, Police, Home, Special Initiatives, Special Programme Implementation, Welfare of Differently abled persons.
2. Duraimurugan: Minister for Water Resources Irrigation Projects including small Irrigation, Legislative Assembly, Governor and Ministry, Elections and Passports, Minerals and Mines.
3. K N Nehru: Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply.
4 I Periyasamy: Minister for Co-operation, Statistics and Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
5 K Ponmudi: Minister for Higher Education including Higher Education Technical Education, Electronics, Science and Technology.
6 E V Velu: Minister for Public Works (Buildings, Highways and Minor Ports).
7 M R K Panneerselvam: Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Agro Service Co-operatives, Horticulture, Sugarcane Excise, Sugarcane Development and Waste Land Development.
8 K K S S R Ramachandran: Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors, Disaster Management.
9 Thangam Thennarasu: Minister for Industries Industries, Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, Archeology.
10 S Reghupathy: Minister for Law, Courts, Prisons and Prevention of Corruption.
11 S Muthusamy: Minister for Housing and Urban Development Housing, Rural Housing, Town Planning projects and Housing Development, Accommodation Control, Town Planning, Urban Development and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.
12 K R Periakaruppan: Minister for Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Unions, Poverty Alleviation Programmes, Rural Indebtedness.
13 T M Anbarasan: Minister for Rural Industries including cottage industries, small Industries, Slum Clearance Board.
14 M P Saminathan: Minister for Information & Publicity Film Technology and Cinematograph Act, Newsprint Control, Stationery and Printing, Government Press.
15. P. Geetha Jeevan: Minister for Social Welfare & Women Empowerment Women and Children Welfare including Social Welfare, Orphanages and Correctional Administration, Integrated Child Development Scheme and Beggar Homes and Social Reforms & Nutritious Meal Programme
16 Anitha R Radhakrishnan: Minister for Fisheries, Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry Fisheries and Fisheries Development Corporation and Animal Husbandry
17 S R Rajakannappan: Minister for Transport, Nationalised Transport and Motor Vehicles Act.
18 K Ramachandran: Minister for Forests
19 R Sakkarapani: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection and Price Control.
20. Senthil Balaji: Minister for Electricity, Prohibition & Excise Conventional Energy Development, Prohibition and Excise, Molasses.
21 R Gandhi: Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, Khadi and Village Industries Board.
22 Ma Subramanian: Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare.
23 P Moorthy: Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration Commercial Taxes, Registration and Stamp Act, Weights and Measures, Debt Relief including legislation on Money lending, Chits and Registration of Companies
24. S S Sivasankar: Minister for Backward Classes Welfare, Most Backward Classes Welfare and Denotified Communities Welfare
25 P K Sekarbabu: Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments
26 Palanivel Thiagarajan: Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management, Planning, Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Pensions and Pension allowances.
27. S M Nasar: Minister for Milk & Dairy Development Milk and Dairy Development
28 Gingee K S Masthan: Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minorities Welfare, Refugees & Evacuees and Wakf Board.
29. Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi: Minister for School Education
30 Siva V Meyyanathan: Minister for Environment - Climate Change and Youth Welfare and Sports Development Environment and Pollution Control, Youth Welfare and Sports Development
31 C V Ganesan: Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development Labour Welfare, Population, Employment and Training, Census, Urban and Rural Employment
32 T Mano Thangaraj: Minister for Information Technology Information Technology
33 M Mathiventhan: Minister for Tourism Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation
34. N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj: Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare, Hill Tribes and Bonded Labour Welfare.
The following are the new faces in the cabinet:
R Sakkarapani, R Gandhi, Ma Subramanian, P Moorthy, SS Sivasankar, PK Sekar Babu, Palanivel Thiagarajan, KS Masthan, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Siva V Meyyanathan, CV Ganesan, T Mano Thangaraj, M Mathiventhan and N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj.
(With Online Desk inputs)