The new 12- member council of ministers of Tripura with Dr Manik Saha as the Chief Minister was formed on Monday. While the Chief Minister Dr Saha had taken oath on Sunday his new cabinet colleagues including Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma were administered oath on Monday by Governor Satyadeo Narain Acharya.
The Ministers who took oath on Monday are Jishnu Dev Varma (Deputy Chief Minister), Ratan Lal Nath, Pranajit Singha Roy, Manoj Kanti Deb, Santana Chakma, Ram Prasad Paul, Bhagaban Chandra Das, Sushanta Chowdhury, Rampada Jamatia, all from the BJP; and Narendra Chandra Debbarma and Prem Kumar Reang from the IPFT
Dev Varma who had been Deputy Chief Minister in Biplab Deb government was reluctant to be in the ministry as he was denied o the position of the Chief Minister. He however maintained a dignified distance and did not join the shouting brigade. Later he was pursued to join the ministry and would again be bestowed with the same responsibility.
In fact, all other ministers who were in the previous cabinet retained their ministerial berth and would also get the same portfolios. The exception was IPFT member Mevar Kumar Jamatia who was axed by his party. Only BJP leader Rampada Jamatia and Prem Kumar Reang- who replaced Jamatia were the new faces in the ministry. In the cabinet Santana Chakma happened to be the only woman minister.
On Monday former Chief Minister BIplab Kumar Deb , Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, Ratan Lal Nath, NC Debbarma, Jail and Fire Service Minister Ramprasad Paul and other senior leaders and ministers escorted the new Chief Minister Dr Saha to his chamber. Deb helped him sit on the Chief Minister’s chair and congratulated the new cabinet.
