CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday carried out a major expansion and reshuffle of his Council of Ministers, allocating portfolios to newly inducted ministers and revising certain existing departments in the 33-member ministry.
The Cabinet expansion saw the induction of 23 new ministers — 21 from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and two legislators from the Congress — marking the grand old party’s return to the Tamil Nadu ministry after nearly six decades.
Among those inducted into the Cabinet are Srinath (Thoothukudi), Kamali S (Avinashi), C Vijayalakshmi (Kumarapalayam), RV Ranjithkumar (Kancheepuram), Vinoth (Kumbakonam), Rajeev (Thiruvadanai), B Rajkumar (Cuddalore), V Gandhiraj (Arakkonam), Mathan Raja P (Ottapidaram), Jegadeshwari K. (Rajapalayam) and M Vijay Balaji (Erode East).
The new ministers also include Logesh Tamilselvan D (Rasipuram), Vijay Tamilan Parthiban A (Salem South), Ramesh (Srirangam), Kumar R (Velachery), Thennarasu K (Sriperumbudur), V Sampath Kumar (Coimbatore North), Mohamed Farvas J (Aranthangi), D Sarathkumar (Tambaram), N Marie Wilson (RK Nagar) and Vignesh K (Kinathukadavu).
According to the revised allocation issued by Lok Bhavan, Vijay retained the Public, General Administration, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, District Revenue Officers, Police, Home, Special Programme Implementation, Special Initiatives, Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness, Youth Welfare, Welfare of Children, Aged and Differently Abled Persons, and Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply portfolios.
However, in the revised allocation issued on May 21, the Women Welfare portfolio was removed from his charge, while the new portfolios of Special Initiatives, Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness were added. The remaining portfolios remained unchanged.
N Anand initially handled Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Union, Poverty Alleviation Programme, Rural Indebtedness, Irrigation and Irrigation Projects, including Small Irrigation. In the revised allocation, Poverty Alleviation Programme and Rural Indebtedness were removed from his portfolio, leaving him with Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Union, Irrigation and Irrigation Projects, including Small Irrigation.
KA Sengottaiyan initially served as Finance Minister with charge of Finance, Pensions and Pension Allowances. In the revised Cabinet order, he was redesignated as Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management and allotted the Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors, Disaster Management, Bhoodan, Gramadhan and Legislative Assembly departments. The Finance portfolio was thus removed from his charge entirely.
N Marie Wilson, one of the newly inducted ministers, has been entrusted with the Finance, Pensions and Pensionary Benefits, and Planning and Development portfolios. For the first time, a separate ministry has been created for Artificial Intelligence, and R Kumar has been allocated this portfolio along with Information Technology and Digital Services.
R Nirmal Kumar was earlier given Electricity and Non-Conventional Energy Development, Law, Courts, Prisons and Prevention of Corruption, Legislative Assembly, Governor, Elections and Passports. However, in the revised allocation, the Legislative Assembly portfolio was removed from his charge. Notably, the department was subsequently allotted to KA Sengottaiyan along with Revenue and Disaster Management.
Congress MLA S Rajesh Kumar (Killiyoor) has been made Minister for Tourism and allotted the Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation departments. Congress legislator P Viswanathan (Melur) has been allotted Higher Education.
Among the newly inducted ministers, Srinath has been made Minister for Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare and allotted the Fisheries and Fisheries Development Corporation departments.
Kamali S has been given Animal Husbandry, while C Vijayalakshmi was allotted the Milk and Dairy Development portfolio. RV Ranjithkumar was assigned the Forests portfolio.
Vinoth has been appointed Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and will handle Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Agro Service Co-operatives, Horticulture, Sugar, Sugarcane Excise, Sugarcane Development and Waste Land Development. Rajeev was allotted the Environment, Pollution Control Board and Climate Change departments.
B Rajkumar was given the Housing and Urban Development portfolios, including Housing, Rural Housing, Town Planning Projects, Housing Development, Accommodation Control, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board, Urban Planning and Urban Development. V Gandhiraj was allotted the Co-operation Department.
P Mathan Raja has been assigned Rural Industries, including Cottage Industries and Small Industries, under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises department. Jegadeshwari K has been allotted Social Welfare, including Women Welfare, Orphanages and Correctional Administration, Beggar Homes, Social Reforms and the Nutritious Meal Programme.
M Vijay Balaji was assigned the portfolios of Handlooms and Textiles and the Khadi and Village Industries Board. Logesh Tamilselvan D was allotted Commercial Taxes, Registration and Stamp Act, Debt Relief, including legislation on moneylending, chits and registration of companies.
A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban was given the Transport portfolio, including Motor Vehicle Act Administration, Nationalised Transport and the Motor Vehicles Act. Ramesh was allotted the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department.
K Thennarasu was made Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare and was also assigned the Refugees and Evacuees departments. V Sampath Kumar was allotted Backward Classes Welfare, Most Backward Classes Welfare and Denotified Communities Welfare.
J Mohamed Farvas was given Labour Welfare, Population, Employment and Training, Census, Weights and Measures, Urban and Rural Employment, and Bonded Labour Welfare portfolios. D Sarathkumar was allotted the Human Resources Management and Ex-Servicemen Welfare departments, while K Vignesh was allotted the Prohibition and Excise department.
Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has agreed to join the government but is yet to finalise its nominee for a ministerial berth. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) is still deliberating on whether to become part of the ruling dispensation.
