SHILLONG : The Meghalaya government on Wednesday reshuffled cabinet portfolios, assigning tourism, social welfare, and arts and culture to newly inducted minister Paul Lyngdoh. The revised allocation, notified by the personnel department with immediate effect, was issued following an order by the Governor on the recommendation of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

Under the reshuffle, Timothy D Shira has been given charge of agriculture and farmers welfare, power, and water resources. Senior BJP leader and Laban MLA Sanbor Shullai has been assigned animal husbandry and veterinary, fisheries, taxation, legal metrology, and printing and stationery.

Lyngdoh took oath as a cabinet minister on Monday after joining the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) last week. He had quit his parent party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), along with two other MLAs, reducing the regional party’s strength in the Assembly to one.

The political realignment followed the defection of eight other UDP MLAs to the BJP last month, further weakening the regional party’s presence in the state legislature.