Patna: The 32-member Bihar cabinet led by Nitish Kumar swung into action within hours of the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers.
Before having its first cabinet meeting, the newly appointed ministers were allotted their departments and they joined their assignments instantly.
Deputy chief minister, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav who got health, road construction and urban development departments directed the officials of the health ministry to ensure medicines were made available to all patients in government hospitals.
His elder brother, Tej Pratap who is the forest and environment minister took over at Aranya Bhawan and in his first meeting with officers stressed on increasing forest cover.
Professor Chandra Shekhar Singh of RJD, who is the new education minister, in his first interaction with officers suggested secularism should be promoted in educational institutions. He had defeated Nikhil Mandal of JDU in 2020 assembly elections. Nikhil is grandson of former chief minister, BP Mandal of Mandal Commission fame.
While two sons of RJD president Lalu Prasad are in Nitish cabinet, Sudhakar Singh, son of state RJD president Jagdanand Singh has been made Agriculture Minister.
The new cabinet has 17 members from extremely backward and other backward castes, eight from Yadav caste, five Muslims, five from upper castes, including one Brahmin.
Departments with heavy annual budget provisions have been shared by RJD.
Two ministers from Congress quota have been asked to look after Panchayati Raj and IT departments.
