UP CM allocates portfolios to new ministers, Prajapati gets Transport

After the latest expansion, the Akhilesh Yadav government now has 32 cabinet ministers, nine ministers of state with independent charge and 19 MoS.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday distributed portfolios to the 10 ministers who were sworn in on Monday, allocating the important Transport department to tainted Gayatri Prasad Prajapati and relieving Shivpal Yadav of two charges.

Prajapati was the mining minister before being sacked by the chief minister last month perhaps to refurbish the image of the government, a development that had triggered a major political crisis in the state.

According to a Raj Bhawan release issued here, MoS (independent charge) Yasir Shah, looking after the Transport department, has been given Trade Tax, while Shivakant Ojha got Medical Health department.

Both the Trade Tax and Medical Health were so far with the chief minister.

Manoj Kumar Pandey, who returned to the ministry after a brief gap, has been given Electronics and Information Technology, while Ziyauddin Rizvi, who could not take oath in the ministry expansion in June and was sworn in this week, has been made Minister for Animal Husbandry, the release said.

Ministers of State Riyaz Ahmed, Ravidas Mehrotra and Abhishek Misra, who were promoted to cabinet rank in the latest re-jig, will continue to with their department -- Fisheries, Family Welfare and Vocational Education, respectively, it said.

Narendra Verma has been given the portfolio of Cane Development and Sugar Mills, while Shanklal Majhi has been given Social Welfare and SC/ST Welfare departments, the release said.

Minister for Sericulture and Textiles Mehboob Ali has been given the additional charge of Minor Irrigation.

So far senior Samajwadi Party leader and Akhilesh's uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav was looking after the Social Welfare and Minor Irrigation departments.

After the latest expansion carried out on Monday, the Akhilesh Yadav government now has 32 cabinet ministers, nine ministers of state with independent charge and 19 MoS.