Raj CM retains home, finance as ministers distributed portfolios

Jaipur, Nov 22 (IANS) After the cabinet expansion, new portfolios were distributed to Rajasthan ministers in the Ashok Gehlot government on Monday.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has kept 10 departments with himself which include Finance, Taxation, Home and Justice, Personnel, IT, General Administration, Cabinet Secretariat, NRI, Rajasthan State Investigation Bureau and Information Public Relations Department.

The education department earlier held by Govind Singh Dotasra has been given to B.D. Kalla.

Dotasra is now holding PCC president position in Rajasthan. Earlier, with education, he has had dual posts.

The health department with Raghu Sharma has been given to Parsadi Lal Meena. Raghu Sharma is new in-charge of Gujarat.

Cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal, known close to Gehlot, has retained his earlier departments of UDH, Parliamentary Affairs, Legal etc.

Mamta Bhupesh became cabinet minister after being promoted from minister of state. She has the same women and child development department as before.

Agriculture ministry remains with Lalchand Kataria, Mines and 'Gopalan' are with Pramod Jain Bhaya, Cooperatives is with Udai Lal Anjana and Minority Welfare Department is with Saleh Mohammad.

Minister of State Ashok Chandna has sports, youth affairs as earlier. Information Public Relations Department is a new addition which is with the Chief Minister.

Pratap Singh Khachariyawas has been given food department instead of transport, Parsadi Lal Meena has been given health department instead of industry.

Tikaram Juli has been given Social Justice and Empowerment Department instead of Labour after being promoted to cabinet and Bhajan Lal Jatav has been given an important department like PWD instead of Home Guard.

Among the ministers of state, the portfolios of Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Rajendra Yadav, Sukhram Bishnoi have been changed. Bhati has been given energy, water resources and IGNP (Indira Gandhi Canal Project) instead of higher education. Sukhram Bishnoi has been given Labour and Revenue Department instead of Forest.

The Social Justice Department has been given to Tikaram Juli. This department was earlier with the late Master Bhanwarlal.

Vishvendra Singh who was stripped off his portfolios after rebellion with Pilot, has been given back tourism department. He has also been given the civil aviation department.