Omar Abdullah expands J&K cabinet

Jammu: 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 on Wednesday.

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 allotted Tourism Ministry, which was earlier held by Nawang Rigzin Jora, who has been shifted to Urban Development and Urban Local bodies ministry. PTI