Mamata reshuffles portfolios after dropping three ministers
Kolkata, June 6: A day after she removed three ministers, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday reshuffled her ministry, saying the exercise was undertaken to reduce the workload of some of them.
The three ministers - Churamani Mahato, James Kujur and Abani Joardar - resigned on Wednesday, apparently under Banerjee's instructions.
While Joardar has not been keeping well for long, Mahato and Kujur's removal came against the backdrop of Trinamoool Congress' relatively lacklustre performance in some tribal areas of the state in the recent Panchayat (rural body) polls.
However, so far there have been no official comments from the party or the government regarding the reasons for the three's removal.
In the reshuffle, veteran minister Subrata Mukherjee has been entrusted with the Water Resources Investigation and Development portfolio, in addition to the vital Panchayat and Rural Development.
However, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Ministry, so far run by him, has now been given to Moloy Ghatak, who would also continue to hold charge of Law and Labour Departments, an official notification said.
Soumen Mahapatra, who so far was in charge of Water Resources Investigation and Development, would now get the crucial Irrigation and Waterways Ministry. Rajib Banerjee, who ran the Irrigation Department so long, would now move to Backward Class Welfare Department.
Sovan Chatterjee, also the Kolkata Mayor, has had his wings clipped, as he lost the Environment Ministry, but retained Fire and Emergency Services and Housing portfolios.
Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari has got the additional charge of Environment, the notification said.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Land and Land Reforms departments Chandrima Bhattacharya has also been handed the independent charge of Personnel and Administrative Reforms and e-governance.
She has also got the additional charges of Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation and Tribal Development.
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B'desh: Lawyer killed in clash between security personnel, followers of Hindu leader
Dhaka, Nov 26: A lawyer was killed on Tuesday during clashes between the security personnel and followers of a Hindu community leader, who was denied bail and sent to jail by a Bangladesh court, according to local media reports.
The victim was identified as Saiful Islam, a 35-year-old assistant public prosecutor and a member of the Chattogram District Bar Association, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
Citing Dr Nibedita Ghosh, a duty doctor at the emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the paper said that six others were injured in the clashes that erupted after Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate court denied bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, arrested on sedition charges.
Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, president of the Chittagong Lawyers' Association, said that protesters dragged a lawyer from beneath his chamber and hacked him to death.
As Das was being taken away in a police van, he addressed the crowd through a hand mike, urging them to remain calm.
Around 3 pm, the law enforcement agencies resorted to sound grenades, tear gas shells, and baton charges, dispersing the protesters.
Deputy Commissioner of City Police Liaquat Ali confirmed one death but said they were still investigating the cause.
The Daily Star newspaper reported that at least 10 people, including journalists, were injured during the clash.
