AGARTALA, May 23 (TIWN): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today reallocated the portfolios among his cabinet colleagues after the induction of a new minister today.In the reallocation of portfolios, Naresh Jamatia the newly inducted minister, was allotted the Forest, RD and Election department.Mr. Sarkar however, stripped off the Finance department portfolio from senior most member of the cabinet, Badal Chowdhury. For last 18 years, senior minister Chowdhury was holding the finance department, however he retained the Health Department from Tapan Chakraborty who has been relieved to some extent.

 Now Mr. Chakraborty will hold the portfolio of higher education, school education, industries and law. Food and Higher education minister Bhanu Lal Saha will look after the financial department, in addition to ICA, Food and Civil Supplies.

It may recall that state government employees was unhappy with the former finance  minister for his reluctant to give them wages and other incentives  as per central government. The state employees have been demanding it for a long time, a section of employees decided to register a case in High Court of Tripura, alleging that the government is depriving their rights to central pay - scale. 

Earlier in the morning today in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhawan, governor of Tripura Devananda Konwar administered oath to the newly inducted minister. Chief minister Manik Sarkar and his council of ministers present in the swearing ceremony.  

An MLA for two consecutive terms since  2008, Mr. Jamatia had studied engineering but couldn't finish Degree. Before joining active politics as a member of the  CPI(M).He had won his first election as MLA and was re–elected in 2013 from Bagma assembly constituency in South Tripura district.