Addl responsibility for state Panchayats Min

Kolkata: State Panchayats and Rural Development minister Subrata Mukherjee has been given the responsibility to look after Consumer Affairs, Self-Help Group and Self Employment Department that were under Sadhan Pandey.

The latter will, however, continue to be a minister without a portfolio. He has been sick for the past few months and has not been able to attend office. As a result, the administrative work relating to key decisions could not be implemented.

Pandey was hospitalised with severe lung infection on July 17 as his condition was very critical and he had to be put on ventilator support at the ICU of a private hospital in Kolkata. The septuagenarian was rushed to the hospital in a semi-conscious state after he complained of chest pain and breathlessness.