Maha Cabinet: BJP takes the cake, Shinde Group settles for crumbs (Ld)

Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday allocated portfolios in the 20-member state Cabinet with ally Bharatiya Janata Party grabbing a majority of the coveted ministries.Shinde will handle Urban Development, GAD, IT, PWD (Public Projects), Transport and other departments, as per an official announcement.Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been given a bagful of big portfolios, including the crucial Home, Finance and Planning, Law and Justice, Water Resources, Energy, Housing and Protocol.The much-awaited distribution of portfolios came five days after the CM expanded his Cabinet on Tuesday by inducting 18 ministers, nine each from Shiv Sena Shinde Group and BJP, though there are no women in the team so far, after Shinde and Fadnavis took oath on June 30.The portfolio allocation was announced after approval from Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, even as the Leader of Opposition, NCP’s Ajit Pawar, the Congress and the Shiv Sena took regular potshots at Shinde-Fadnavis for the delay in assigning responsibilities to the ministers.BJP’s share in portfolios: Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil – Revenue, Dairy Development and Animal HusbandrySudhir Mungantiwar – Forests, Cultural Affairs and FisheriesChandrakant Patil – Higher and Technical Education, Textiles and Parliamentary AffairsVijaykumar Gavit – Tribal DevelopmentGirish Mahajan – Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Medical Education, Sports and Youth WelfareMangal Prabhat Lodha – Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Women and Child DevelopmentRavindra Chavan – Public Works (excluding Public Enterprises), Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer ProtectionAtul Save – Cooperation, Other Backward and Bahujan WelfareSuresh Khade – Labour.Shinde Group’s share in portfolios: Gulabrao Patil – Water Supply and SanitationDadaji Bhuse – Ports and MinesSanjay Rathod – Food and Drug AdministrationSandipan Bhumre – Employment Guarantee Scheme and HorticultureUday Samant – IndustryTanaji Sawant – Public Health and Family Welfare.Abdul Sattar – AgricultureDeepak Kesarkar – School Education & Marathi LanguageShambhuraj Desai – State ExciseThe other ministries not assigned to anyone shall be handled by Shinde till the next round of Cabinet expansion scheduled after the upcoming Legislature Session.These include Information and Public Relations; Marketing; Social Justice and Special Assistance; Relief and Rehabilitation; Disaster Management; Soil and Water Conservation; Environment and Climate Change; Minority and Wakf.–IANSqn/arm