Kolkata, Feb 16 (IANS): Four months after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal, state Forest Minister Jyotipriya Mallick has finally been removed from his ministerial post.

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose cleared his removal from the ministerial chair on Friday evening, confirmed Raj Bhavan sources. The sources also confirmed that besides the forest department, Mallick has also been relived as the minister in-charge of public enterprises and industrial reconstruction department, which will now be additionally handled by Irrigation Minister Partha Bhowmik.

The state forest department will now be handled by the current Minister of State in-charge of forest department, Birbaha Hansda, who has now been given independent charge of the ministry.

The ED had arrested Mallick in October last year because of his alleged involvement in the ration distribution case during his tenure as state Forest Minister from 2011 to 2021.