Ministries allotted in CM TS Rawat’s new cabinet

The ministries of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat’s cabinet have finally been alloted four days after oath ceremony on Tuesday evening. CM Tirath himself has kept about one and a half dozen departments with him. CM Tirath has kept departments like Home, Finance, Energy, PWD, Technical Education, Revenue, Medical Education, Health, Excise. No changes have been made in the departments of Cabinet Ministers Arvind Pandey, Yashpal Arya, Subodh Uniyal, Satpal Maharaj, Dr. B.R.  Harak Singh Rawat, Minister of State (All Independent Charge) Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat and Rekha Arya.

Former BJP president and Kaladhungi MLA Bansidhar Bhagat has been given important portfolios like Urban Development, Civil Supplies, Housing Department etc. Whereas, Didihat MLA Bishan Singh Chufal, who was among the new ministers, has been given drinking water, rural construction and census departments. Mussoorie MLA and Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi with military background has been given the responsibility of military welfare, Khadi and industrial development. Whereas, Swami Yatishwaranand, MLA of Haridwar Rural, Minister of State (Independent Charge), who holds the post of Minister for the first time in the government, has been given the responsibility of the Department of Sugarcane Development, Sugar Industry etc.

Speculation was being done for the last four days about the distribution of portfolios of ministers in Uttarakhand., but now the situation is clear. Banshidhar Bhagat, who left the state president’s chair in the cabinet, has overseen departments like Forest, Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry in the previous BJP governments, but in the Tirath government, he has been given the responsibility of new departments and Chufal will also have to new departments with him. He was with the Department of Cooperation during his tenure as Minister in 2007.

Governor Baby Rani Maurya administered the oath of office and secrecy to 11 MLAs on Friday last week at Raj Bhavan. Three vacant posts of cabinet ministers running vacant in the Trivandra government have also been filled this time.

The cabinet expansion has seven old faces, while four MLAs have been inducted into the cabinet for the first time. Of the 11 ministers, eight have been given cabinet ministers while three legislators have been given the responsibility of minister of state (independent charge). CM Tirath has tried his best to create a balance in Garhwal and Kumaon in his cabinet. CM Rawat has also asked to keep some key departments with him and review the officers every 15 days.

Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister’s Portfolio