Cabinet reshuffle: Suresh Bhardwaj gets Urban Development, Health allotted to Rajiv Saizal, Education Dept. to Govind Singh Thakur
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur allocated portfolios to the three newly sworn-in ministers. CM also reshuffled ministries of members of the Cabinet.
Sukh Ram Chaudhary has been allotted Ministry of MPP, Power and Non-Conventional Sources, Rakesh Pathania will hold important Forest Dept and Youth Services & Sports, while Rajinder Garg has been allotted Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department.
Chief Minister also reshuffle the portfolios of its ministers as well. Suresh Bhardwaj has been allotted Dept of Urban Development, Town & Country Planning, Housing, Parliamentary Affair and Co-operation now, while Education Department has been allotted to Govind Thakur.
Import Health and family welfare portfolio has been allotted to Dr. Rajiv Saizal. The chief minister himself was in charge of the department since then health minister Vipin Singh Parmar became the assembly Speaker in February.
Sarveen Chaudhary will now look after the social justice and empowerment ministry.
Dr. Ram lal Markana has been allotted Technical Education, Tribal Development, IT and REdresssal of Public Grievances. Dept of Agriculture has been allotted to Virender Kanwar, while Industries Minister Bikram Singh has been given a charge of Transport.
The Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has kept eight departments with himself, including finance, home, tourism, excise and taxation and public works. While, Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur will be continuing with his existing portfolio.
Much awaited Cabinet expansion took place on Thursday. This was the first cabinet rejig by Chief Minister Thakur since coming to power in December, 2017.
Dissatisfied with the non-inclusion of senior leaders in the cabinet, supporters of disgruntled senior BJP leaders have protested and threaten to resign from the party posts. Meanwhile newly appointed state party president Suresh Kashyap has denied any resentment due to the Cabinet expansion within the party ranks. He claimed that the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has tried to strike a balance keeping in view the caste and regional considerations.
