Raja Bhaiya off prison, Pandit gets education in portfolio rejig

Sunday’s reshuffle of portfolios saw UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav divesting the prison department from Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya.

Other departments likefood and logistics, civil supplies, rent control and consumer protection will however be retained by the controversial minister.

The prison department has been handed over to the newly-appointed Rajendra Chowdhury. Transport department which was earlier in the charge of Raja Mahendra Aridaman Singh has been given to cabinet minister Durga Prasad Yadav.

A notification in this regard was issued by Governor B L Joshi, the official release said.
The horticulture department has been transferred from Rajkishore Singh to Parasa Nath Yadav, who was minor irrigation minister. The tourism department, which was earlier retained by the chief minister, has been given to Om Prakash Singh.

Among state ministers with independent charge, newly-appointed minister Vijay Kumar Mishra has been given the charge of alternative energy department.
Tej Narain Pandey alias Pawan Pandey has been given the entertainment tax department while Gayatri Prasad Prajapati will now take over the irrigation department.

Newly-appointed Yogesh Pratap Singh alias Yogesh bhaiya has been made incharge of basic education department while Nitin Agarwal has been allotted medical and health department, the release said.

Vinod Kumar Singh alias Pandit Singh, who was re-inducted in Akhilesh’s cabinet, has been given the charge of secondary education department. Manoj Kumar Pandey has been given agriculture (export, marketing and trade).

Alok Kumar Shakya has been handed over the technical education, while Vijay Bahadur Pal has been put in charge of secondary education with Pandit Singh.
Ram Murti Singh Verma has been allotted the department of backward welfare while Abishek Misra has been asked to take care of science and technology portfolio.