Himachal CM allocates portfolios to 11 ministers

Shimla, Dec 29 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday allocated portfolios to 11 of his Cabinet colleagues, keeping important portfolios like Home, Finance, Tourism and General Administration with himself.

Mohinder Singh was given Irrigation and Public Health, Horticulture and Sainik Welfare, while Kishan Kapoor was allocated Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, a government spokesperson told IANS.

Shimla legislator and first-time minister Suresh Bhardwaj was given the departments of Education (Higher and Elementary), Parliamentary Affairs and Law and Legal Remembrance.

Anil Sharma, who defected from the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the assembly elections in November, got Multi-Purpose Projects, Power and Non-Conventional Energy departments.

Son of former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram, Sharma was also a Cabinet minister in the previous Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh.

Sarveen Chaudhary, the lone woman minister in the Cabinet, was allocated Urban Development, Town and Country Planning and Housing departments.

Ram Lal Markanda got Agriculture, Tribal Development, and Information and Technology departments, while Vipin Parmar was given Health and Family Welfare, and Science and Technology.

Virender Kanwar got the charge of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries departments.

Vikram Singh was assigned Industries, Technical Education, and Vocational and Industrial Training departments.

Three-time Manali legislator and first-time minister Gobind Thakur will look after the departments of Forests, Transport, and Youth Services and Sports.

Rajiv Saizal, a doctor by profession, was assigned Social Justice and Empowerment, and Cooperation portfolios.

The Chief Minister and his 11 ministers — half of them first-timers — took oath of office on December 27 at an impressive ceremony here attended among others by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.