Uttarakhand CM Dhami distributes portfolios

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday distributed portfolios to his Cabinet ministers, giving some key departments to senior ministers Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Yashpal Arya and Dhan Singh Rawat.

Dhami’s predecessor Tirath Singh Rawat had held with himself 20 portfolios, which included five key departments of Public Works Department (PWD), Excise, Rural Development, Energy and Renewable Energy and Medical Health and Medical Education.

In the portfolio distribution on Tuesday, Dhami kept with himself 15 departments and distributed the five prominent departments to others.

Apart from the portfolios they held in the previous Cabinet, Satpal Maharaj got PWD, Harak Singh Rawat got Energy and Renewable Energy, Yashpal Arya got Excise, Yastishwaranand got Rural Development and Dhan Singh Rawat got Medical Health and Medical Education.

This is first time in the state that the Chief Minister will not hold the Medical Health portfolio. In view of Covid-19 pandemic, medical experts had suggested to the state government for a separate minister for Health for better handling of the crisis.

Giving the senior ministers important portfolios is being seen as a move to mollify them as some of them were believed to be upset over the surprise selection of Dhami as the Chief Minister.