CHENNAI: A week after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and nine ministers were sworn in, the portfolios were allocated on Saturday, with the chief minister retaining key welfare departments. Significantly, and perhaps for the first time in Tamil Nadu’s history, the chief minister has kept charge of Municipal Administration, Women’s Welfare, Youth Welfare, and Urban and Water Supply portfolios, in addition to the other key departments, including Public, General Administration, Police, Home, Welfare of Children, Aged and Differently-abled Persons, and Special Programme Implementation.
“The chief minister has recommended the portfolios and subject allocations to the council of ministers, who were sworn in along with him on May 10. The governor has approved them,” a Lok Bhavan release said.
Though placed fourth in the cabinet, KA Sengottaiyan, the only minister with prior administrative experience in the government, has been entrusted with the crucial Finance portfolio. He had earlier handled major departments, including School Education, Revenue, Transport, Information Technology, and Agriculture, in the previous AIADMK governments.
Sengottaiyan must have been chosen as the finance minister as the role involves allocating funds for welfare schemes and TVK’s poll promises, while balancing demands from cabinet colleagues. In the previous DMK regime, at least one minister had openly complained about inadequate fund allocation to his department.
TN cabinet: Anand given rural development, Arunraj health
Another significant allocation is the School Education being given to Egmore MLA Rajmohan. He is the second Dalit to hold the portfolio, the first being P Benjamin, in the AIADMK ministry in 2016.
While the Higher Education portfolio in the previous DMK regime was handled by Govi Chezhiaan, also a Dalit, School Education carries one of the state’s biggest budget allocations, making the move politically and symbolically significant. Having gained popularity through a Tamil oratory show, Rajmohan will also handle the Archaeology, Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, and Information and Publicity departments.
Vijay retaining the Children’s Welfare portfolio comes after his first speech after being sworn in as chief minister where he promised that he will work with the future of his young fans in mind. However, he may allocate large departments such as MAWS, which require daily attention, to others during the cabinet expansion, according to sources.
Key portfolios, including higher education, agriculture, revenue, social welfare, commercial taxes, transport, HR and CE, and IT, are also expected to be allocated when the cabinet is expanded, giving berths to the Congress. It may be noted that Tamil Nadu can have up to 35 ministers, including the chief minister.
N Anand, who is placed second in the cabinet, has been appointed Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources. His other portfolios include Panchayats, Poverty Alleviation Programme, Rural Indebtedness and Irrigation Projects.
Aadhav Arjuna has been given the heavyweight Public Works portfolio, including Buildings, Highways and Minor Ports, along with Sports Development, reflecting his personal interest in sports. He is currently the president of the Basketball Federation of India and the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association, besides serving as the general secretary of Tamil Nadu Olympic Association.
Significantly, Sivakasi MLA S Keerthana has been assigned the Industries and Investment Promotion portfolio, making her the first woman to head the ministry in the state. Her fluency in Tamil, English, Hindi and Telugu is said to have worked in her favour, as the role involves interacting with industrialists from other states and abroad.
Minister R Nirmalkumar has been entrusted with the crucial Energy portfolio. He will also handle Law, Prevention of Corruption, Courts and Prisons, besides departments such as Legislative Assembly, Elections and Passports.
K G Arunraj, a retired IRS officer who had earlier worked as a doctor in Krishnagiri before entering the civil services, has been appointed Minister for Health. P Venkataramanan will handle Food and Civil Supplies, along with Consumer Protection and Price Control. Karaikudi MLA Dr TK Prabhu has been allotted the Natural Resources portfolio, along with Minerals and Mines.