Bhopal, Dec 30 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday assigned portfolios, keeping the home department with himself while giving the finance ministry to deputy CM Jagdish Devda and public health to another deputy CM Rajendra Shukla.
The present strength of the state cabinet, including the chief minister, is 31. The Madhya Pradesh cabinet can have a maximum of 35 ministers.
Yadav, who became chief minister by replacing Shivraj Singh Chouhan after the BJP retained power in the last month's assembly elections, also retained the General Administration Department (GAD), Public Relations, Jails, Mining, Aviation, Industrial Policies and Investment Promotion besides all other departments not specifically assigned to any minister, said a gazette notification issued by the GAD.
Deputy CM Devda was given Commercial Tax department besides Finance. Devda was the finance minister in the Chouhan government too.
Rajendra Shukla, the other deputy CM, was allocated Public Health and Medical Education.
Former Union minister Prahlad Patel was allotted Panchayat and Rural Development while senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya was given Urban Development and Housing, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Senior MLA Vijay Shah will handle Tribal Affairs and Bhopal Gas Tragedy departments. Former MP from Jabalpur, Rakesh Singh, will handle the Public Works Department, while another former parliamentarian Rao Udai Pratap Singh was allotted Transport and School Education.
Sampatiya Uikey was allotted Public Health Engineering (PHE); Karan Singh Verma Revenue; Tulsiram Silawat Water Resources; Aidal Singh Kansana Farmers Welfare and Agricultural Development; Nirmala Bhura was given Women and Child Development; Govind Rajput Food and Civil Supplies; Vishwas Sarang Sports, Youth Affairs and Cooperatives; Narayan Singh Kushwaha Social Justice, Horticulture and Food Processing; Nagar Singh Chouhan Forest, Environment and SC Welfare; Pradyuman Singh Tomar Energy; Rakesh Shukla Renewable Energy; Chaitanya Kashyap Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Inder Singh Parmar Higher Education and Technical Education.