The new ministers in Tamil Nadu cabinet will be sworn in at the Raj Bhavan at 3.30 pm on Sunday, 29 September.
Published Sep 28, 2024 | 10:47 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 28, 2024 | 10:47 PM
Senthil Balaji re-inducted into Tamil Nadu Cabinet as minister (Supplied)
Ending months of speculation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin was elevated as the deputy chief minister in a Cabinet reshuffle on Saturday, 28 September.
Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi has been allotted the Planning and Development portfolio besides those he has been holding.
Stalin also re-inducted into Cabinet V Senthil Balaji, who had to resign after his arrest on 14 June in a cash-for-jobs scam that took place when he was the minister for transport in the AIADMK government between 2011 and 2015. The Supreme Court granted him bail on Thursday, 26 September.
Dr Govi Chezhian, R Rajendran, and SM Nasar are the new faces in the Cabinet. Stalin dropped T Mano Thangaraj, Minister for Milk & Dairy Development, Gingee KS Masthan, Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, and K Ramachandran, Minister for Tourism, from the council of ministers, according to a Raj Bhavan communique.
Stalin also reshuffled the portfolios of some ministers. Dr K Ponmudy, who was the Minister for Higher Education, has been given the Forest Department. Chezhian has been accorded Higher Education.
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Siva V Meyyanathan has been shifted to Backward Classes Welfare, while N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj will hold the Ministry of Human Resources Management and Ex-servicemen Welfare. She was in charge of Adi Dravidar Welfare, which would now be under the charge of Dr M Mathiventhan, who held the Forest portfolio.
RS Rajakannappan, who was in charge of Backward Classes Welfare has been accorded the Milk and Dairy Development. He will also be in charge of Khadi and Village Industries.
Human Resource Management has been taken away from Thangam Tennarasu, who also held the Finance portfolio. In addition to Finance and Archaeology, he will be in charge of the Environment, Pollution Control Board, and Climate Change.
The Raj Bhavan said Governor RN Ravi has approved Stalin’s Cabinet reshuffle recommendations. The new ministers will be sworn in at the Raj Bhavan at 3.30 pm on Sunday, 29 September.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
