Gehlot keeps 9 depts, Pilot gets 5

After a series of deliberations with the Congress high command, newly inducted Rajasthan ministers have been allocated portfolios.

While Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot kept nine departments including, finance and home to himself, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot has been given the charge of public works, rural development, Panchayati Raj, science and technology and statistics departments.

Besides Gehlot and Pilot, 13 Cabinet ministers and 10 council ministers — who had taken oath on Monday during the Cabinet expansion — were allocated portfolios, according to the orders issued by Cabinet secretariat. A total of 18 fresh faces were inducted in the state Cabinet.

BD Kalla got energy, public health engineering, groundwater, art, culture and archaeology departments, while Shanti Dhariwal received urban development and housing, law and parliamentary affairs minister.

Parsadi Lal was named the industry minister, whereas Master Bhanwar Lal Meghwal is the social justice and empowerment minister.

Lal Chandra Kataria was given agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries departments, and Raghu Sharma got medical and health, information and public relations departments.

Pramod Bhaya is the mining minister. Tourism and devsthan department was allocated to Vishvendra Singh.

Harish Chaudhary was allocated revenue and Ramesh Chand Meena food and civil supply. Anjana Udailal was made the cooperative minister and was also given the Indira Gandhi canal project department. Pratap Singh was given transport and soldier welfare departments while Shale Mohammad was given the portfolio of minority affairs and waqf.

Govind Singh Dotasara was made MoS education (independent charge). Mamta Bhupesh was given women and child development department (independent charge) along with minority affairs and waqf.

Arjun Singh Bamnia got tribal area development department (independent charge) as well as industry and public enterprises departments.

Bhanwar Singh Bhati was allocated higher education (independent charge) and revenue while Sukhram Bishnoi got forest (independent charge), environment (independent charge), food and civil supply and consumer affairs.

Four days ago, the 23 newly elected legislators — 22 Congress and one RLD — were sworn in as ministers in the Rajasthan Cabinet.