Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh
Pokhariyal Nishank has reshuffled his cabinet, the first after
he assumed the charge last year.
Nishank, who was in-charge of seven departments,
yesterday distributed some key portfolios, including health
and family welfare, forests and environment, technical
education and AYUSH, to his other ministers.
In the revamping of his ministry, Nishank, however, did
not touch the portfolios of ministers from Uttarakhand Kranti
Dal, an important ally, and independent MLAs.
UKD ministers hold land, food and civil supplies and army
welfare portfolios.
The chief minister also kept with himself key departments
like home, PWD, finance, energy, information, civil aviation
and higher education.
Matbar Singh Bhandari has been given additional charge of
language, whereas Prakash Pant has been given the charge of
employment department. Banshidhar Bhagat has been relieved
from the charges of rural engineering and cooperative
departments and he will now look after health and family
welfare and AYUSH.
Balwant Singh Bhauryal will have an additional charge of
cooperative department. Govind Singh Bisht will now look after
the environment and forests department.
Terming it as a general exercise, Nishank said the move
was taken to ensure better coordination among various
departments to speed up development works.
"This is to give pace to ongoing development works in the
state. The ministers will be able to ensure effective reach of
the development works initiated by the government," Nishank
said.
PTI
