Portfolios allocated in Uttaranchal

Portfolios allocated in Uttaranchal
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

NOV 18: Portfolios have been allocated to seven Cabinet Ministers and five Ministers of State in the newly-formed state of Uttaranchal.

Bhagat Singh Koshiyari gets Power, Irrigation, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs; Kedar Singh Phonia -- Tourism, Industrial Development and Science and Technology; Ramesh Pokhriyal `Nishank' -- Finance, Planning and Revenue; Matbar Singh Kandhari -- Environment and Forests; Mohan Singh `Gaonwasi' -- Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Watershed Management; Ajay Bhatt -- Health, Disaster Management (a newly-formed ministry) and Banshidhar Bhagat -- Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

The Ministers of State are Narayan Ram Das -- Small-scale Industries and Khadi Udyog; Narayan Singh Rana -- Culture, Pilgrim Tourism, Military, Education and Sports; Dhiraj Singh Rawat -- Primary, Secondary and Adult Education; Suresh Arya -- Transport and Nirupama Gaud -- Urban Development, Housing and Urban Employment.

All the ministers of state have been attached to Chief Minister Nityanand Swamy. The portfolios were revealed to the press by Swamy in the Vidhan Sabha at 3 pm today. He has retained 20 charges including Home, Higher Education, Law, Excise, Information Technology, Transport, Civil Aviation, Public Works and General Administration.

Only five ministers were present at the press meet -- N S Rana, A Bhatt, M Singh, N Gaud and S Arya.