Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister and Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday dropped her party MLA Jyotipriyo Mullick as a minister from her cabinet, more than three months after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the ration scam.
Governor CV Ananda Bose approved Ms Banerjee's step and allocated Mr Mullick’s portfolios to two other TMC ministers– Partha Bhowmick and Birbaha Hansda. Mr Mullick, who has been lodged in the jail custody, was arrested by the ED on October 27 last year after a marathon raid at his residences in Salt Lake.
The Raj Bhavan stated, “In terms of Article 166(3) of the Constitution, Hon’ble Governor Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose has relieved Shri Jyoti Priya Mallick, Minister in Charge, Department of Forests and Department of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction of his duties as Minister with immediate effect and has been pleased to reallocate the Departments to Partha Bhowmick and Birbaha Hansda on the advice of the Hon’ble Chief Minister.”
It added, “Minister-in-Charge, Partha Bhowmick’s allocation of Departments are – Department of Irrigation and Waterways and Department of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction. Minister of State, Birbaha Hansda’s allocation of Departments are – Department of Forests (Independent Charge) and Department of Self-Help Group and Self Employment (Independent Charge).”
