New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will reshuffle her Cabinet Wednesday — bringing in four to five news faces — to offset the ouster of her senior-most minister Partha Chatterjee last week following his arrest in a cash-for-jobs scam.
Chatterjee, along with close associate and former actor Arpita Mukherjee, are in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate for their alleged role in irregular recruitment of teachers and staff in state schools. Chatterjee held the education portfolio when money apparently changed hands in lieu of jobs.
Mountains of cash – the biggest ever ED haul – of nearly 50 crore and tonnes of gold jewellery were recovered from Arpita Mukherjee’s two flats 10 days ago.
Mamata Banerjee sacked Chatterjee as minister and from all party posts the following week, taking additional charge of the senior minister’s portfolios — Industry, Commerce and Enterprise, Department of Information Technology and Electronics and Parliamentary Affairs.
But the chief minister said Monday: “We don’t plan to dissolve the whole ministry and form a new one. Yes, there will be a reshuffle. We lost ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Sadhan Pande. Partha is in jail… so all their work has to be done. Not possible for me to handle alone.”
Also read: ED arrests Mamata Banerjee close aide & Minister Partha Chatterjee in teacher recruitment scam