West Bengal Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, who was apprehended in a multi-crore ration distribution scandal, was dismissed from his position on Friday.
Mallick’s responsibilities in the Department of Forests and the Department of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction have been reassigned to other ministers, Birbaha Hansda and Partha Bhowmick.
Governor CV Ananda Bose promptly relieved Mallick on the recommendation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as stated in a release from Raj Bhavan on Friday.
The Department of Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction has been allocated to Bhowmick, who also serves as the Minister of Irrigation and Waterways.
The Department of Forests has been assigned to Minister of State Hansda, who also holds the independent charge of the Department of Self-Help Group and Self-Employment.
This development occurs three months after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an inquiry into the ration scandal and detained Mallick.
Mallick served as the food supplies minister from 2011 to 2021 before assuming the role of Minister of Forest Affairs and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy.
The central agency’s investigation revealed that Mallick’s wife and daughter held directorial positions in three companies allegedly implicated in the diversion of funds in the scandal.
Furthermore, the investigation discovered that Mallick had received a substantial loan from three companies, which the minister failed to repay.
In addition to the minister, the ED has apprehended several individuals for their alleged involvement in the multi-crore scandal.
Significantly, another TMC leader and Sandeshkhali strongman, SK Shahjahan, who is presently evading authorities, is also under investigation by the probe agency. Shahjahan is known to be a close associate of Mallick.