New departments will be created in Maharashtra: Nawab Malik
Distribution of portfolios among ministers in Maharashtra will be completed by Monday, said Nationalist Congress Party leader and minister Nawab Malik on Saturday.
Mr Malik said the government is thinking about creating some new departments that is causing the delay.
"The reason for the delay is not due to anything else but because we are considering creating new departments, so it is taking time. Portfolios will be allocated by Monday," he said.
On December 31, 36 leaders of the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena were sworn-in as ministers but they are yet to get departments.
There was buzz that over-ambition of the Congress was to be blamed for the delay of the portfolio distribution. However, it has now been refuted by the minister who said no party was behind the delay.
"The delay is not because of any specific party in the government," he said, adding that some ministries including one related to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) and metro works on in talks.
MLA and Chief Minister's son, Aditya Thackeray, will be given the proposed department looking after the operations of the Chief Minister's Office, according to talks in political circles of Maharashtra.
Leaders of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena that constitute Maha Vikas Aghadi put their heads together on Thursday to finalize the department distribution. After the meeting, Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that the issues pertaining to portfolio distribution have been resolved.