Sarma ministry

The Sarma ministry is the current council of ministers of the Government of Assam which has been in office since 10 May 2021. The ministry is headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and consists of 16 cabinet ministers. The chief minister and 14 other ministers were sworn-in into office by Governor Jagdish Mukhi on 10 May 2021.

Sarma ministry
Ministry of Assam
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Date formed10 May 2021
People and organisations
Head of stateJagdish Mukhi until 2023
Gulab Chand Kataria from 2023
Head of governmentHimanta Biswa Sarma
Member parties
Status in legislatureCoalition
Opposition partyIndian National Congress
Opposition leaderDebabrata Saikia
History
Election(s)2021
Legislature term(s)5 years
PredecessorSarbananda Sonowal ministry

Background

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) contested the election to the Assam Legislative Assembly and won 75 seats with the BJP itself winning in 60 seats, the AGP in 9 and the UPPL in 6 seats. The opposition led by Indian National Congress won 50 seats and an independent candidate won a seat.

After the election results were out on 2 May 2021, it was widely speculated that incumbent chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal could be re-appointed for a second term in office while his senior ministerial colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma was too a forerunner. Eventually, BJP observers- Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and National General Secretary Arun Singh held meetings with the newly-elected BJP legislators and the other legislators from the alliance parties and unanimously elected Himanta Biswa Sarma as the leader of the legislative party and hence as the chief minister.[1] Outgoing chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal tendered his resignation to the Governor Jagdish Mukhi on 9 May 2021 paving way for Sarma to be sworn-in the next day.

Sarma was eventually sworn-in as the state's 15th Chief Minister on 10 May 2021 along with the 14 other cabinet ministers[2] who were all administered oath by the governor. Among attendees included BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda, outgoing Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Ministers Biplab Deb of Tripura, Conrad Sangma of Meghalaya, N. Biren Singh of Manipur and Neiphiu Rio of Nagaland.

Sarbananda Sonowal was inducted into the union council of ministers on 7 July 2021 and was appointed as the Union Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH. He resigned as a member of the Assam Legislative Assembly on 29 September 2021 after being elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha for Assam.

Composition

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn-in along with 13 other ministers which included 10 BJP legislators, namely Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Parimal Suklabaidya, Ranoj Pegu, Ashok Singhal, Jogen Mohan, Sanjoy Kishan, Ajanta Neog, Pijush Hazarika and Bimal Bora; 2 AGP legislators namely Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta and one UPPL legislator Urkhao Gwra Brahma. Patowary, Suklabaidya, Bora and Mahanta were cabinets in the outgoing government while Hazarika, Mohan and Kishan were ministers of state (independent charge). The chief minister himself along with his colleague Ajanta Neog served as ministers under the Congress government of Tarun Gogoi while Pijush Hazarika was a parliamentary secretary.

The ministry was expanded on 9 June 2022 with the induction of two BJP legislators Nandita Garlosa and Jayanta Malla Baruah as cabinet ministers.

Changes

  • On 20 July 2021, the Department of Urban Development and the Department of Guwahati Development were merged together to form the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs.[3]
  • On 30 July 2021, the Department of Indigenous Faith and Culture was created.[4]
  • On 5 May 2022, the Department of Health and Family Welfare was bifurcated into two separate departments, namely, the Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Medical Education and Research.[5]
  • On 8 June 2022, the following departments were created:
    • The Directorate of Women and Child Development under Social Welfare Department was separated and the Department of Women and Child Development was formed.
    • The Directorate of Social Justice and Empowerment under Social Welfare Department was separated and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment was formed.
    • The Department of Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes Department was renamed into the Department of Tribal Affairs (Plains), while the Directorate of Welfare of Scheduled Castes was placed under the newly created department of social justice and empowerment.
  • A cabinet reshuffle took place on 9 June 2022. Two ministers - Nandita Garlosa and Jayanta Malla Baruah, both of BJP were inducted and portfolios of several ministers were changed.
  • A minor cabinet reshuffle took place on 23 May 2023 in which the portfolios of ministers Nandita Garlosa and Jogen Mohan were changed.

Council of Ministers

PortfolioMinisterTookofficeLeftofficeParty
Chief Minister and also in-charge of:
Department of Home
Department of Personnel
Department of Public Works
And all other departments not allocated to any Minister.
10 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of General Administration11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development
Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs
11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Public Health Engineering11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Agriculture
Minister of Horticulture
Minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary
Minister of Border Protection and Development
Minister of Implementation of Assam Accord
11 May 2021Incumbent AGP
Minister of Co-operation11 May 20219 June 2022 AGP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Handloom and Textile
Minister of Soil Conservation
11 May 20217 July 2021 UPPL
Minister of Welfare of Plain Tribe and Backward Classes (BTC)11 May 20217 July 2021 UPPL
Minister of Welfare of Bodoland7 July 2021Incumbent UPPL
Minister of Transport11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Industries and Commerce
Minister of Skill Employment & Entrepreneurship
11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Public Enterprises11 September 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Welfare of Minorities11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Act East Policy Affairs11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Environment and Forests11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Fisheries
Minister of Excise
11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
Minister of Science and Technology
Minister of Information Technology
11 May 2021Incumbent AGP
Minister of Medical Education and Research20 May 2022Incumbent AGP
Minister of Education (Higher, Secondary and Elementary)11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes (non-BTC)11 May 20217 July 2021 BJP
Minister of Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes7 July 20219 June 2022 BJP
Minister of Tribal Welfare9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Irrigation11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Guwahati Development
Minister of Urban Development
11 May 202120 July 2021 BJP
Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs20 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management
Minister of Hill Areas Development
11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Mines and Minerals11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 202229 May 2023 BJP
29 May 2023Incumbent BJP
Minister of Welfare of Tea Tribes
Minister of Labour and Welfare
11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Finance11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Social Welfare11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
Minister of Women and Child Development9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Water Resources
Minister of Information and Public Relations
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Cultural Affairs11 May 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Power11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare11 May 202129 May 2023 BJP
29 May 2023Incumbent BJP
Minister of Tourism11 May 20219 June 2022 BJP
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Indigenous and Tribal Faith and Culture
Ranoj Pegu
(Library and Museum)
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Nandita Garlosa
(excluding Library and Museum)
9 June 2022Incumbent BJP
Minister of Cultural Affairs (Archaeology)29 May 2023Incumbent BJP

References

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