Keralam Cabinet: CM Satheesan keeps finance, law; Chennithala gets Home
Thiruvananthapuram, May 20
The Keralam government has officially released the notification for the allocation of portfolios among its cabinet members, with Chief Minister VD Satheesan retaining several key departments and senior leaders being assigned significant charges.
As per the official notification, Chief Minister VD Satheesan will oversee Finance, Kerala Financial Corporation, Ports, Law, Pollution Control, Airports, Metro Rail, and Railways.
Veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala has been entrusted with the crucial Home portfolio, along with Vigilance, Fire and Rescue Services, Prisons, and Coir.
In other major appointments, K Muraleedharan has been assigned the Health and Medical Education department, which also includes Ayush, Drugs Control, and Devaswoms. Senior leader P K Kunhalikutty will head the Industries & Commerce department, while also managing start-ups, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, mining and geology, handlooms and textiles.
Sunny Joseph has been given charge of Electricity, Environment, Parliamentary Affairs, and ANERT, while A P Anilkumar will oversee Land Revenue, Survey and Land Records, and Land Reforms.
The portfolio for Tourism and Culture, including the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), has been allocated to P C Vishnunadh. M Liju will handle Co-operation and Excise, while Roji M John has been given charge of Collegiate Education, Technical Education, Universities (except specialised ones), the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP).
T Siddique has been named the Minister for Agriculture, Soil Survey & Soil Conservation, the Kerala Agricultural University and the Warehousing Corporation. For the welfare of marginalised communities, K A Thulasi will lead the Development of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backwards Classes.
Bindhu Krishna has been assigned the portfolios of Labour, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Milk Co-operatives, Women & Child Development and Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University.
O J Janeesh will look after Sports, Youth Affairs, Zoos, Archaeology and Museums.
The notification further states that N Samsudheen will handle General Education, Wakf and Hajj Pilgrimage, and Minority Welfare.
K M Shaji has been given the charge of Panchayat and Rural Development, while P K Basheer will head the Public Works Department (PWD).
V E Abdul Gafoor has been allocated Fisheries, Harbour Engineering, and Social Justice. Mons Joseph will handle Irrigation, and Anoop Jacob has been assigned Food & Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, and Legal Metrology.
Rounding off the cabinet, Shibu Baby John will take charge of Forests & Wildlife Protection, and C P John has been appointed as the Minister for Road Transport, Motor Vehicles, and Water Transport.
— ANI
Reader Comments
K Muraleedharan getting Health is a big responsibility, especially after COVID. Hope he brings reforms to the public healthcare system. Also glad to see Bindhu Krishna handling Women & Child Development—keralam needs stronger implementation of welfare schemes for women. 🙏
Interesting mix. P K Kunhalikutty handling IT and AI is a smart move—Keralam has potential to become a tech hub if nurtured properly. But I'm skeptical; past governments talked big but delivered little. Let's see if this cabinet walks the talk. 🤔
As a Malayali, I'm happy Tourism is given to a young face like P C Vishnunadh. We need fresh ideas to promote backwaters and culture globally. But why is the Coir department under Home? That seems odd—should be under Industries. Anyway, all the best to the team! 💪
Respectfully, I have one concern: the Home Minister handling Vigilance seems like a conflict of interest. In other states, Vigilance is kept separate from police oversight. Hope Chennithala maintains transparency. Kerala's law and order needs improvement, especially regarding moral policing incidents.
Great to see N Samsudheen handling Minority Welfare and Hajj—important portfolios for communal harmony. Also, glad General Education is under someone specific. Keralam's literacy rate is our pride; we can't let it decline. Wishing the entire cabinet success!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.