Kamal Nath allocates portfolios

A day after portfolios were allocated among the 28-member Cabinet in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress government has announced that it would withdraw cases related to “political vendetta” filed against party workers by the previous BJP regime.

“The State government will withdraw cases lodged by the previous BJP government on Congress workers. The government will also implement the journalist protection act in the near future,” Minister of Law and Legal Affairs P.C. Sharma said here on Saturday.

Election promise

The withdrawal of cases was a promise made by the party in the run-up to the elections.

The State government in an official statement late on Friday announced the allocation of portfolios among the 28 ministers.

Chief Minister Kamal Nath has retained eight departments, including Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion and Technical Education, Skill Development and Employment as well as other departments not allotted to any specific minister.

The Women and Child development ministry has gone to the lone woman minister Imarti Devi; Tarun Bhanot has been allocated Finance, Planning Economics and Statistics. Jaivardhan Singh, son of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was allocated Urban Development and Housing while veteran tribal MLA and former Minister Bala Bachchan was given the Home portfolio.