BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Wednesday allotted portfolios to three new ministers who took oath of the office on February 3 and effected some major reshuffle in high profile departments like Jail, Cottage and Rural Industries, Labour and Ayush.
Beginning with Jail department, the chief minister Chouhan shifted the responsibility of the department from senior minister Kusum Mehdele to Antar Singh Arya, who is also holding the charge of Environment and Animal Husbandry.
Sources in the secretariat disclosed that Mehdele was unwell since over a year and had not called any meeting with the top jail officials since last six months. Being an important portfolio, the government entrusted Arya with the responsibility of jails. Mehdele has now been left with only one – public health engineering department.
Among the new ministers, Chouhan allotted the charge of New and Renewable Energy department to cabinet minister Narayan Singh Kushwah. Till now, Energy minister Paras Jain was holding the charge. The chief minister also shifted the charge of Labour department to minister of state (MoS) Balkrishna Patidar from Food and Civil Supplies minister Omprakash Dhurve.
Patidar has also been given Independent charge of Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development department which was under MoS Surendra Patwa. He will continue as Culture and Tourism minister with independent charge.
In another major change, newly inducted MoS, Jalam Singh Patel will be the minister of Ayush and Cottage and Rural Industries with Independent charge. Cabinet ministers Rustam Singh was holding the charge of Ayush while, Antar Singh Arya was in-charge of Cottage and Rural Industries department.
Patel will also be MoS for PHE department, stated an official release.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
