A yr after 26/11, Patil back as Maha home minister

Almost a year after he was forced to resign in the aftermath of the terror attack on Mumbai, senior Nationalist Congress Party leader R R Patil is back in the saddle as Maharashtra home minister.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar will handle the prestigious Power portfolio, in addition to the Water Resources Ministry he handled earlier.

NCP leader Jayant Patil, who was home minister in the outgoing government, will now handle the Rural Development Ministry, party sources said. Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will continue to hold his Public Works Department portfolio while Jaydutt Shilsagar will handle Public Enterprises. Sunil Tatkare, who was power minister in the earlier government, will be the new Finance Minister.

Senior Congress leader Narayan Rane will be the new Revenue Minister. The Industry portfolio, earlier handled by Rane, has been entrusted to Rajendra Darda. Patangrao Kadam, who earlier held the Revenue portfolio, will be the new Forest Minister, sources said.

Congress leader Harshvardhan Patil has retained his Cooperatives, Marketing and Parliamentary Affairs portfolios. NCP leader Anil Deshmukh will be Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Laxman Dhoble will be Water Supply Minister and Rajesh Tope will be Minister for Higher and Technical Education.

Balasaheb Thorat will continue to hold the Agriculture portfolio, Suresh Shetty will handle Public Health, Shivajirao Moghe will handle Social Justice and Subhash Zanak handle the Women and Child Welfare Ministry.