Haryana CM Saini Keeps Home, Finance, Excise And Taxation Portfolios

Chandigarh, Oct 21: In the newly formed Haryana government, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini kept key portfolios, including Home, Finance, and Excise and Taxation with him.

The Chief Minister also kept Town & Country Planning and Urban Estates, Information, Public Relations, Language and Culture, Administration of Justice, General Administration, Criminal Investigation (C.I.D), Personnel & Training and Law and Legislative departments with him.

Seven-time legislator and the senior-most legislator in the Cabinet Anil Vij has been allocated Energy, Transport and Labour portfolios. He was the Home and Health & Family Welfare Minister under former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

First-time woman legislator Shruti Choudhry has been allocated Women and Child Development and Irrigation and Water Resources, while another debutante minister Arti Singh Rao got Health and Medical Education and Research and Ayush.

Rao Narbir Singh has been allotted Industries and Commerce, Environment, Forests and Wildlife Departments, while Mahipal Dhanda has been given the responsibility of the School and Higher Education Departments.

Vipul Goel is the minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, Urban Local Bodies and Civil Aviation Departments.

While Arvind Sharma will handle Jails and Cooperation portfolios, Shyam Singh Rana will take care of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department.

Ranbir Gangwa will handle Public Health Engineering and Krishan Kumar Bedi has Social Justice, Empowerment, and Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Welfare Departments.

Krishan Lal Panwar has been allocated Development and Panchayats, and Mines and Geology Departments.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) Rajesh Nagar has been allocated Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs while Minister of State Gaurav Gautam (Independent Charge) will handle the Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship and Sports Departments.

Saini on Sunday reviewed development projects at a meeting here with officials from the Urban Local Bodies and Development and Panchayats Departments.

The Chief Minister prioritised the people's welfare, directing the initiation of 'Samadhan shivirs' in municipal bodies from October 22.

During these 'shivers', all officers will be available in the office from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to address public concerns.

It was also decided that the Chief Minister will personally review development projects by meeting with all Municipal Corporation Commissioners in Chandigarh on October 24 at 9 a.m.

Chief Minister Saini took oath along with his 13 Cabinet members on October 17 and vowed to tirelessly serve the 2.8 crore people of Haryana.

With BJP forming the government for a record third consecutive term by securing an absolute majority in the state, defying an anti-incumbency of 10 years, a low-profile non-Jat but Other Backward Classes (OBC) face Saini, 54, took oath as the Chief Minister for the second time in the presence of a galaxy of NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Council of Ministers, comprising 11 Cabinet Ministers and two Ministers of State (Independent Charge), also took the oath of office in a 45-minute ceremony in Panchkula near here.

--IANS