Jammu, Jan 16: In a major rejig of portfolios after the Cabinet expansion, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah carried out extensive reshuffle of his Council of Ministers in which Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand was divested of Housing and Urban Development Ministry and shifted to School Education Ministry.
Another significant appointment was of Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora, who has been shifted to Urban Development and Urban Local bodies ministry, while his ministry was given to G A Mir.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah late last night ordered a rejig in the portfolios of 20 Ministers and MOSs after the Cabinet expansion.
However, there was no change in portfolios of the heavy weight National Ministers Abdul Rahim Rather (Finance and Ladakh Affairs), Ali Mohmmad Sagar (Rural Development and Panchayat Raj) and Mian Altaf Ahmed (Forests, Environment and Ecology) besides Associate member of Congress Ghulam Hassan Mir (Agriculture Production).
Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Congress MLA from Chhamb, who earlier held Housing and Urban Development Department, has been shifted to School Education, which was lying with the Chief Minister after Congress Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed was divested of it following his son's involvement in the examination scam last year.
Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, MLA Kokernag, who was holding the charge of Public Enterprises after being divested of Education has been given charge of Haj, Auqaf and Floriculture in the new Omar ministry.
Mohmmad Akbar Lone, who was shifted from post of Speaker J&K Assembly to a cabinet minister got Higher Education portfolio, which was held by Abdul Gani Malik, who was dropped.
Sham Lal Sharma, Congress MLA from Akhnoor, has been shifted from Health, Floriculture and Horticulture ministries to prime ministry PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, which was earlier held by Taj Mohi-ud-Din.
Taj has been allocated Medical Education, Sports and Youth Services, which were held by R S Chib, who was dropped from the Cabinet.
Dooru MLA G A Mir, who was inducted into council of ministers of Omar Abdullah, was alloted Tourism Ministry, which was earlier held by Nawang Rigzin Jora, who has been shifted to Urban Development and Urban Local bodies ministry.
Mir was minister for Tourism and PWD in Congress-PDP coalition government.
Raman Bhalla, MLA Gandhi Nagar, who held the charge of Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation has been shifted to Housing, Horticulture and Culture ministry.
MLC Ajay Sadhotra, who was inducted into government as minister, has bagged the prestigious portfolio of Planning and Development along with Labour and Employment. The charge of Planning was held by the Chief Minister for past 4 years.
The charge of portfolios of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has gone to fresh entrant Mir Saifullah of NC. MLA Doda Abdul Mujeed Wani got the PWD and Mechanical Engineering department, which was lying with Chief Minister after removal of G M Saroori for cash-for exam scam. However Saroori was recently given a clean chit by the court.
Choudhary Ramzan of NC has been allocated CAPD and Transport, the charge of which was held by the dropped Minister, Qamar Ali Akhoon.
All seven Ministers of State had been given Independent charge of top Departments. NC legislators-Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, Feroz Khan and Nazir Gurezi, who were administered the oath as MoS with Independent charge, were given command of Industries and Commerce (Independent) besides MoS home, Science and Technology (Independent), Animal and Sheep Husbandry (Independent), respectively besides charges of other ministries as MoS. All these portfolios were held by cabinet rank ministers, who were dropped.
Minister of State Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Congress MLA from Gool has been assigned the Independent charge of Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, which had earlier been held by Cabinet Minister Raman Bhalla.
Minister of State Shabir Ahmad Khan, Congress MLA from Rajouri has been given Independent charge of Health, which was earlier held by his party colleague, Sham Lal Sharma.
Congress MLA from Billawar and MoS Dr Manohar Lal Sharma retained his portfolio of Fisheries, Cooperative, Printing, Stationery and Elections as Independent charge and MoS of Finance and Planning, Higher Education, Forests, Environment and Ecology, Labour and Transport.
New entrant from Congress Vakar Rasool, MLA Banihal has been given Independent charge of Technical Education. In addition, he would be MoS for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs, Rural Development and Panchayats, Social Welfare, Power, Hospitality and Protocol, Information and CAPD.
