Arunachal CM allocates portfolios to council of ministers

Itanagar, Jun2 2 (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday allocated portfolios to his council of ministers, who were sworn in earlier this week as cabinet ministers.

While Khandu kept the key PWD department besides other portfolios, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein got finance and investment, as well as power and non-conventional energy resources, an official release said.

Senior cabinet minister Wangki Lowang has been allocated public health engineering and water supply, while Honchun Ngandam got the Rural Works department.

Bamang Felix, who held the RWD department in the previous government, has been handed another important portfolio of Home and Inter State Border Affairs, besides Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Parliamentary Affairs, the release said.

Tage Taki, a first-time minister, has been allocated the portfolios of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Dairy Development and Fisheries.

Another first-timer Mama Natung got the Water Resources, Sports and Youth Affairs departments.

Two other new-comers — Nakap Nalo (Nacho constituency) and Taba Tedir (Yachuli) — were also inducted in the council of ministers.

The ministers were sworn in on Wednesday.

Phosum Khimhun sworn in as Pro-tem speaker

Senior BJP MLA Phosum Khimhun was on Sunday sworn in as the Pro-tem Speaker of the Seventh Legislative Assembly in Arunachal Pradesh.

State Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra administered the oath to Khimhun in a simple ceremony organised at the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan here in presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu and others.

Khimhun, the MLA from Changlang South Assembly constituency would perform the duties of the office of the Pro-tem speaker in the Assembly till the Speaker is elected.

He will administer oath to the newly-elected legislators of the state legislative Assembly when the House would convene on Monday.

In the two-day session of the Assembly, besides the traditional address by the governor, obituary reference in respect of Khonsa West MLA Tirong Aboh would be taken.

Aboh who was re-elected to the seat in a NPP ticket was gunned down along with 10 others by suspected NSCN militants near Bogapani in Tirap district on May 21.

CM  extends leave benefits for women contingency and contractual employees

On his first day at office in his second term, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday extended maternity leave and child care leave benefits to women contingency and contractual employees of the state government.

Khandu was sworn in as chief minister of the state for the second term on May 29 along with 11 cabinet ministers.

He signed the first file for the benefit of women contingency and contractual employees, an official release said here.

Earlier, the maternity and child care leave was given only to regular government employees in Arunachal Pradesh.

Now, the women contingency and contractual employees will also get 180 days of maternity leave and 60 days of child care leave in the service period, the release said adding that the decision will benefit around 20,000 women.