January 4, 2014
WB CM appoints 13 new Parliamentary Secretaries for speedy governance
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday evening announced the names of 13 new Parliamentary Secretaries who will enjoy the status of a Minister of State. They will be inducted into the government on 3 January.
The newly-announced Parliamentary Secretaries include:
- Chand Muhamamad – Animal Husbandry
- Wilson Champramary – Tribal Welfare
- Tapan Dasgupta – Labour
- Nirmal Majhi – Power and AYUSH (Ayurvedic, Yoga, Unnani, Siddha and Homeopathy)
- Pulak Roy – Primary Education and Mid-day meal
- Nilima Nag – Social Welfare
- Silbhadra Dutta – Horticulture
- Firoza Bibi – Panchayat and Rural Development
- Firdausi Begum – Panchayat and Rural Development
- Subhasish Batabyal – Agriculture
- Ujjal Pramanik – Backward Classes Welfare Department
- Sankar Dalui – Irrigation and Waterways
- Manirul Islam – Municipal Affairs
The state government had earlier on 21 January, 2013 inducted 13 Parliamentary Secretaries, out of whom Dr Shashi Panja was elevated to the position of a Minister of State on 26 December.
“Workload in the state government has increased remarkably but the number of ministers and secretaries that we have is very minimal. There are instances wherein one minister is even looking after three-four departments. In case of secretaries, too, while the sanctioned strength is 317, we now have only about 212-213,” Ms. Banerjee said at Nabanna last evening.
“To reduce their work-pressure and expedite the functioning of the state government, we have decided to induct more Parliamentary Secretaries.”
“They will oversee schemes like the 100 Days Job, Nija Bhumi Nija Griha and the various health programmes,” the chief minister added.
The new Parliamentary Secretaries were sworn in by the chief minister in the state Assembly at 12.30 PM on 3 January.
