Panji, Oct 8 (PTI): Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today allotted additional portfolios to ministers ahead of the state Legislative Assembly session beginning October 9.

Effecting the changes tonight, Parrikar did not shift major portfolios, but assigned departments of relatively lesser importance to the Cabinet members.

The Chief Minister retained important portfolios like Home, Education, Town and Country Planning, Agriculture, Finance and Mining with himself.

Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza was stripped off his Craftsman Training portfolio and allotted Information Technology and NRI departments.

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party's senior minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar was given additional charge of Non-conventional Energy, while his brother Dipak Dhavalikar got the Craftsman Training portfolio.

Senior BJP minister Laxmikant Parsekar was entrusted with the portfolio of Captain of Ports in addition to departments like Health and Panchayat.

Art and Culture Minister Dayanand Mandrekar was allotted additional charge of Archaeology while Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar was given additional charge of Archives department.

Industries Minister Mahadev Naik will now also have Legal Metrology department and his Tourism counterpart Dilip Parulekar will be a Protocol minister.

Information and Publicity department was given to Milind Naik, who is also holding Power department portfolio.

Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado was given additional Rural Development Agency (RDA) while Environment Minister Alina Saldanha was allotted Museum portfolio.