Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government has given status of cabinet minister to Vice Chairman of State Planning Commission Navin Chandra Bajpai. Bajpai, a retired IAS officer, is considered close to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and had served as Chief Secretary in his earlier regime. He was removed from the post by the Election Commission during the 2007 assembly polls. Bajpai was appointed Vice Chairman of state planning commission last month.
PTI