HP ministers get portfolios, CM retains Finance, Home

SHIMLA: The newly-inducted ministers in Himachal Pradesh were allocated portfolios with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh retaining key ministries of Finance, Home, Personnel, General Administration, Planning, Education and Tourism.

The portfolios were allocated by Governor Urmilla Singh on the advice of the Chief Minister.

Vidya Stokes has been given Irrigation and Public Health, Horticulture and Information Technology while Kaul Singh Thakur has got Health and Family welfare, Revenue, Law and legal remembrance.

G S Bali has been allocated Food and Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Transport and Technical education, Sujan Singh Pathania has been given Agriculture, Multipurpose Projects and Power, Non conventional Energy and Agriculture and Thakur Singh Bharmauri would hold the portfolios of Forest and Fisheries.

Mukesh Agnihotri has got key portfolio of Industry, Information and Public relation and Parliamentary Affairs, Sudhir Sharma has been given Urban development, Housing and Town and Country Planning while Prakash Chaudhary would be in charge of Excise and Taxation and Printing and Stationery and Dhani Ram Shandil will be minister for Social Justice and Empowerment and Welfare.

There are ten ministers in the Cabinet including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, and two posts are vacant.