Four to be inducted as Cabinet, 3 as MoS today

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 25: The stage is all set for the induction of seven members – five from the BJP and one each from the AGP and the BPF – into Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s Ministry on Thursday with the issuance of letters for taking oath to the seven MLAs on Wednesday.

Governor Jagdish Mukhi is going to administer oath of office and secrecy to the seven members at 10 am on Thursday at Raj Bhawan. While four of the seven members – East Guwahati MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya and Diphu MLA Sum Ronghang of the BJP, Bongaigaon MLA Phani Bhushan Choudhury of the AGP and Sidli MLA Chandan Brahma of the BPF – will be sworn in as Cabinet ministers, the other three will be inducted to the ministry as Ministers of State with independent charge. The other three are Jagiroad MLA Piyush Hazarika, Sonari MLA Tapan Kumar Gogoi and Rangiya MLA Bhabesh Kalita – all from the BJP.

Talking to newsmen after receiving the letter for taking oath, Phani Bhushan Choudhury said: “People’s expectation from this government is very high. Hard work is the only way to live up to people’s expectations.”

Siddhartha Bhattacharya said: “I’ve been entrusted with the responsibility to serve the people of the State. I’ll rise to the occasion.”

While Sum Ronghang said that he would work with the blessings of the people of the State and suggestions from his seniors, Piyush Hazarika said that he would rise to the occasion to face the challenging task.

As many as eight berths of ministers have been lying vacant ever since Sonowal took oath as the Chief Minister on May 24, 2016. If the seven members are inducted the ministry will have just one member short of its full strength of 19. At present the ministry has 11 members, including the Chief Minister.