Jaipur: Facing flak over handling of
Gopalgarh incident, Rajasthan Chief minister Ashok Gehlot
today divested Shanti Dhariwal of Home department while
allocating portfolios to his ministers.
However, he will continue to remain Urban Development and
Housing (UDH) and Parliamentary Affairs ministers.
10 people were killed in a clash between Gujjars and
Muslims on September 14 in Gopalgarh.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has kept the Home department
with him and made changes to the portfolios of several other
ministers, including Babu Lal Nagar against whom there are
corruption charges.
Babu Lal was allotted Khadi & Gramodyog and dairy.
Cabinet ministers A A Khan (Medical and health), Beena
Kak (Tourism and Women and child development), Harji Ram
Burdak (Agriculture), Rajendra Pareek (Industries) continued
to retain their portfolios.
However, Kak and Pareek were given additional
responsibility of Forest & Environment and mines respectively.
Jitendra Singh continues to hold Energy department but
PHED, Ground Water Department and Information and Public
relations were added to his portfolio.
Higher Education department, which Singh also used to
hold before the reshuffle, has been allotted to the newly-
inducted member Dayaram Parmar.
Amin Khan, who was re-inducted as MoS by Gehlot, was
again made Waqf minister. He will also hold Minority
department.
Khan had to resign in February as MoS for Waqf and
Panchayti Raj in the wake of a controversial comment made by
him against President Pratibha Patil.
Ashok Bairwa, who was elevated to cabinet rank from MoS,
was allotted the portfolio of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Changes were also made in the portfolios of cabinet
ministers Mahendrajeet Singh and Parsadi Lal Meena.
Tribal Area Development minister Mahendrajeet Singh
Malvia has been given additional charge of Rural Development
and Panchayati Raj.
Co-operative, Small Savings & State Lottery Minister
Parsadi Lal Meena was given additional charge of food and
civil supply.
MoS Virendra Beniwal was give Home, Transport (IC) and
Dayaram Parmar was alloted Higher Education (IC).
Portfolios of cabinet minister Bharat Singh, B K Sharma
were also changed.
Singh will hold Public Works department, while Sharma
will hold the portfolios of Primary, Secondary and Sanskrit
education, language and linguistic minority and Devsthan.
With his government`s image taking a beating due to
sleaze and corruption allegations, Gehlot on November 15 had
carried out a reshuffle of his ministerial team, dropping six
ministers, including Education Minister Bharosilal Jatav
facing illegal mining charge.
PTI
