Guwahati, Dec 10: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday implemented a significant reshuffle of his cabinet, assigning new portfolios to several ministers and reassigning key responsibilities.

Sarma will continue to oversee vital departments, including Home, Public Works Building and National Highways, Public Works Roads, and Medical Education and Research. Additionally, he will manage the Personnel department and any other portfolio not assigned to other ministers.

Among the newly inducted ministers, Prasanta Phukan has been given charge of the Power and Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship departments, with an additional responsibility to assist Sarma in the Medical Education and Research portfolio. Kaushik Rai will handle the Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Mines and Minerals, and the newly created Barak Valley Development departments.

Krishnendu Paul will manage the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary and Fishery departments, while also assisting in the Public Works Roads department. Rupesh Gowala will oversee Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare, in addition to assisting the Home department.

Senior ministers retained their existing portfolios, including Ajanta Neog, who will continue to manage Finance and Women and Child Development, Ashok Singhal, who will retain Health and Family Welfare along with Irrigation, and Atul Bora, who will continue his role in Agriculture, Border Protection and Development, Horticulture, and the Implementation of the Assam Accord, with the added responsibility of the Excise department.

New portfolio allocations include Ranjeet Kumar Dass, who will head the Tourism department, Keshab Mahanta, who will oversee Revenue and Disaster Management, and Jayanta Malla Baruah, who will manage Parliamentary Affairs and Housing and Urban Affairs.

This reshuffle, following Sarma’s cabinet expansion on Saturday, aims to streamline governance and strengthen the administration in line with the state’s growing developmental priorities.