KOHIMA, March 10— Chief Minister Neiphu Rio whose Democratic Alliance of Nagaland coalition government took over the reins of the state on March six, and is yet to distribute portfolios, today inducted four new Ministers, including one of Cabinet rank besides elevating five Ministers of State to Cabinet rank, reports PTI. Of the four new entrants, I Sangtam of the BJP was of cabinet rank while others from the Nagaland People’s Front, the leading DAN partner, were made Ministers of State.
The newly inducted Ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Shymal Dutta at a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan here. The five party DAN has a strength of 38 MLAs in the 60-member House, of whom 32 are now Ministers. The Ministers of state sworn in were NPF’s Yitachu, EE Panthiang and Naiba Konyak.
Those elevated to the Cabinet rank were Vatsu Meru and Kheto (NPF), Hewoto and M C Konyak (BJP) and R Khing (JD-U). The expansion takes the NPF representation in the Ministry to 19, BJP to four, National Democratic Movement one, JD-U to three, SP to one and Independent four. Later Rio told reporters that portfolios would be announced in the evening after formal approval by the Governor.
Replying to a question, the Chief Minister asserted that there was no problem in allotting portfolios among DAN partners as reported in a section of the media. “We don’t call it problem, we call it a matter of sorting out,” he said.
On the present fiscal situation, he said the new government would take corrective steps only after taking a briefing from the Finance Department. Meluri Constituency found representation for the first time in the Government in the last 40 years with the swearing in of Yatachu as a Minister of State today. The DAN is a conglomerate of five parties in the 60 members Assembly— the NPF (21 MLAs), BJP (six), JD-U (three), NDM (three), Samata Party (one) and four Independents.