Chavan retains Housing and Urban development

National Congress Party leader R R Patil retained the crucial home portfolio while Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan kept the Urban Development and Housing departments with him as new portfolios were allocated after expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar got Finance and Planning in addition to the Energy portfolio which he held in the erstwhile Ashok Chavan ministry.

Chhagan Bhujbal, who had to make way for Pawar as deputy chief minister, was given Tourism in addition to the Public Works (excluding Public Undertakings) which he held earlier.

Prithviraj Chavan expanded his eight-day-old cabinet inducting 29 new ministers, which includes six new faces, taking the total strength of the council of ministers to 40. Chavan effected a reshuffle in portfolios of Congress ministers.

Narayan Rane was shifted from Revenue to Industries, Ports and Employment and Self-Employment. Balasaheb Thorat who held Agriculture in the Ashok Chavan ministry was given Revenue and Khar Lands. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil has been entrusted with the Agriculture and Marketing departments.

Rajendra Darda who earlier held Industries has been given School Education. Patangrao Kadam retained Forests and got an additional department of Rehabilitation and Relief works, Earthquake rehabilitation. Shivajirao Moghe retained Social Justice, Welfare of Nomadic, de-notified tribes and other backward classes and de-addiction activities.

Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan retained Textiles, Minorities Development and Aukaf. Harshvardhan Patil got Co-operation and Parliamentary Affairs. Suresh Shetty retained Public Health and Family welfare and Protocol while the Environment Ministry held by him earlier was given to newcomer Sanjay Deotale along with Cultural Affairs.

Varsha Gaikwad, who was promoted to cabinet rank, has been given women and child development while another Congressman, who got elevated to cabinet rank Padmakar Valvi has been given Sports and Youth Welfare.

Deputy Speaker in the Legislative Assembly Madhukarrao Chavan is the new cabinet minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries. Nitin Raut has been given the portfolio of Employment Guarantee Scheme and Water conservation.

The NCP's Jayant Patil has kept Rural Development while Ganesh Naik has retained state Excise and Non-Conventional Energy. Laxman Dhoble retains Water supply and Sanitation, Jaidutt Kshirsagar gets his old Public Works (Public Undertakings), Manohar Naik retained Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Vijaykumar Gavit kept Medical Education and Horticulture, Sunil Tatkare who held Finance in the last cabinet got Water Resources (Excluding Krishna Valley Irrigation Corporation), Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar retained Water Resources (Krishna Valley Irrigation Corporation).

Babanrao Pachpute will continue as Tribal Development minister and Rajesh Tope will keep Higher and Technical Education portfolio.

Hassan Mushrif retained Labour and got the additional department of Special Assistance.

Anil Deshmukh has retained his cabinet portfolio of Food and Civil Supplies. Newly inducted minister of state Satej Patil, who is the Congress legislator from Kolhapur, will be R R Patil's deputy as Minister of State for Home (Urban) and Home (Rural).

Besides, he will also handle Rural Development and Food and Drugs Administration as minister of state.

Rajendra Mulak, another new face in the ministry will be the Minister of State for Finance, Energy, Planning, Water Resources, Parliamentary Affairs and State Excise.

Rajendra Gavit will be Minister of state for Tribal Development, Labour, Command Area Development and Horticulture.

Dattatreya Sawant will be Minister of state for Medical Education, Higher and Technical education, Special Assistance and Non-Conventional Energy.

Minister of State Ranjit Kamble was given Water Supply and Sanitation, Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection, Tourism and Public Works, Bhaskar Jadhav has retained Urban Development,Forests, Ports, Khar Lands, Parliamentary Affairs, Sports and Youth Welfare, Ex-Servicemen's welfare as well in addition to the law and judiciary department.

Sachin Ahir has retained Housing, Slum Improvement, House repairs and reconstruction, urban land ceiling, Urban land ceiling, Industries, Mines, Social Justice, de-addiction activities, Environment, Welfare of nomadic, de-notified tribes and other backward classes.

Prakash Solanke keeps Revenue, Rehabilitation and Relief work, Earthquake rehabilitation, co-operation, marketing and textiles. Fouziya Khan retained General Administration, Information and Public Relations, Protocol, School Education, Women and Child development, Public health, Minority development, cultural affairs.

The chief minister has also kept General Administration, Information and Public Relations, Slum Improvement, House repairs and reconstruction, Urban Land Ceiling, Transport, Mines, Marathi Language, Law and Judiciary, Ex-servicemen's Welfare.