Nitin Gadkari takes charge of portfolios held by Gopinath Munde

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today took additional charge of Rural Development, Panchayti Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministries--the portfolios held by Gopinath Munde who died in a road accident on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed that Gadkari, who is Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, be given additional charge of the portfolios held by Munde.

Senior officials of the three departments briefed Gadkari about the key programmes and policies.

He has also sought a report from officials about the steps taken by Munde during his brief stint as the Minister.

64-year-old Munde, who had made his entry into the Union Cabinet for the first time last week, died here on Tuesday morning when his car was hit by another vehicle at Prithviraj Road-Tughlak Road intersection.