Kolkata, Oct 7 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mithun Chakraborty was officially appointed on Wednesday as Advisor to the West Bengal Information & Cultural Affairs Department.
The state government issued an official notification on Wednesday announcing the appointment.
The notification also clarified that the post carries a status equivalent to that of a state Cabinet Minister.
An indication in this regard was given by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari last month while addressing a programme marking the birth centenary of Bengali screen legend Uttam Kumar.
An official notification on the matter was issued by the state government on Wednesday evening.
The notification stated that the appointment takes immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders.
The notification, signed by the state's Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agrawal, said that Chakraborty was appointed by order of the Governor and with the approval of the competent authorities.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is himself in charge of the Information & Cultural Affairs Department.
However, from the notification issued on Wednesday evening, it is not clear what responsibilities Chakraborty will perform as Advisor to the department.
Chakraborty, a former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, had severed all ties with Trinamool and also resigned from the Rajya Sabha after several leaders of the party were named in the multi-crore Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund controversies.
He later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has since played an important role in campaigning for BJP candidates in various elections, especially the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year.
Bengal: Mithun Chakraborty appointed advisor to Information & Cultural Affairs Dept
