Shillong, March 9: The state government is not able to control posting of confidential official notifications on WhatsApp groups.
A latest case is that of the leak of portfolios of the cabinet ministers on WhatsApp Groups two days after the cabinet was sworn in.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ampareen Lyngdoh had revealed to a section of the media about her portfolios followed by Paul Lyngdoh on Thursday.
Later in the evening, a list of portfolios of the cabinet ministers under Annexure 1 went viral on social media. The list was sent to cabinet affairs department before the official node, an official source said.
This has prompted the government to release the official list to the media.
There was only one change in the official list compared to the list that went viral.
In the official list, additional portfolio of Investment Promotion and Sustainable Development department was included as one of the portfolios of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma which was not shown in the list circulated on social media as sent to the cabinet affairs department.
Sources said it has become a trend to post official documents on WhatsApp groups even before they are officially released to the media, with no action from the government.
Prestone gets home (police)
According to the official list, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong is the new home minister and he retained PWD (Roads) and parliamentary affairs department from the last term.
His additional portfolios are public works department (building) and district council affairs department.
Dhar retains portfolios
Another Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar has retained urban affairs department, transport department, commerce & industries and department of prisons and correctional services that he had held during the last cabinet.
CM’s departments
The chief minister has kept many departments, including cabinet affairs department, finance department, forests & environment department, home (political) department, planning department, mining & geology department, elections department, personnel & AR department, programme implementation & evaluation department, information technology and communication department, investment promotion and sustainable development department & any portfolios not allotted to the ministers.
Nothing major for Hek
AL Hek was given animal husbandry and veterinary department, fisheries department, printing & stationery department & secretariat administration department.
In the earlier cabinet, he was holding the major portfolio of health and family welfare department among others.
Gain for Ampareen & Paul
Ampareen Lyngdoh was given charge of departments of health & family welfare, law, information & public relations & agriculture and farmers’ welfare.
Some legal sources, however, questioned as to how law department can be given to Ampareen as she is facing trial for education scam.
However, a government source justified the allotment of law portfolio to her by saying that the two things- her case and the portfolio should be seen separately .
Paul Lyngdoh has been given social welfare, tourism, arts & culture & textile departments while another UDP Minister Kyrmen Shylla retained departments of excise, revenue & disaster management held in the last cabinet and received additional departments like legal metrology & home (passport).
Power goes to Mondal
AT Mondal got power department, community & rural development department & taxation department while former goverment chief whip and representative of Williamnagar, Marcuise Marak was given public health engineering department, housing department and soil & water conservation department.
Rakkam new education minister
First-time minister Rakkam Sangma will hold charge of education department, general administration department and border areas development department.
Comingone Ymbon was given food civil supplies & consumers affairs department, water resources department, home (civil defense and home guards) department & cooperation department.
Youngest minister holds Sports dept
The youngest minister in the cabinet Shakliar Warjri was allotted sports & youth affairs department, labour department and registration & stamps department.
