NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar will be the finance minister while Congress' Balasaheb Thorat will be the revenue minister under the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government. Anil Deshmukh, another senior NCP leader, has been trusted to head the home ministry.
Uddhav's son and first-time MLA Aaditya Thackeray will handle the tourism and environment ministry, according to news agency PTI.
Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde will be the new Urban Development Minister, while their senior party colleague Subhash Desai will handle Industries Ministry.
Nitin Raut will handle new Energy portfolio, while former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has been given the Public Works Department.
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The chief minister has kept the general administration department (GAD), information and technology, and law and judiciary departments with himself.
Among the NCP ministers, Chhagan Bhujbal got the food and civil supplies, and consumer protection departments, Nawab Malik- minority development, Waqf Board, skill development and entrepreneurship, Dilip Walse Patil- Excise and labour, Jayant Patil- water resources development and command area development, and Rajendra Shingane- food and drug administration (FDA).
Besides, NCP's Rajesh Tope has been allocated public health and family welfare departments, Hasan Mushrif- rural development, and Balasaheb Patil- cooperation and marketing.
From the Shiv Sena, Dadaji Bhuse has got agriculture and ex-servicemen welfare departments, Sandipan Bhumare- EGS and horticulture, Gulabrao Patil- water supply and sanitation, Sanjay Rathod- forest, relief and rehabilitation, and disaster management, and Uday Samant- higher and technical education.
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Among the Congress ministers, Yashomati Thakur has been allocated women and child development department, Varsha Gaikwad- school education department, Sunil Kedar- animal husbandry and dairy development, youth and sports welfare, Vijay Wadettiwar- OBC welfare and salt land development, Amit Deshmukh- medical education and culture, K C Padvi- tribal development, and Aslam Shaikh- textile, fisheries and port development.
Meanwhile, a disgruntled Congress MLA threatened to resign after he was ignored in the recent expansion of the state cabinet. Congress MLA from Jalna Kailash Gorantyal on Saturday said he would resign from party posts along with several office-bearers and workers.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari approved the allocation of portfolios as proposed Thackeray, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said on Sunday.
The list of portfolios to be allocated to ministers was sent to the governor on Saturday evening, state NCP chief Jayant Patil earlier said.
The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government had come under severe criticism from the opposition BJP for the delay in the allocation of portfolios despite being in power for over a month now.
Chief Minister Thackeray and six of his council members - two each from the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress - took oath on November 28.
Thackeray expanded his month-old ministry on December 30 by inducting 36 ministers.
(With inputs from agencies)
