Raje reallocates portfolios to conclude reshuffle

Jaipur, Dec 25 (UNI) Mr Nathu Singh Gurjar will be the new Cooperative Minister in the reshuffled Vasundhara Raje Council of Ministers while Mr Kalicharan Saraf will hold the Education portfolio.

Mr Ghanshyam Tiwari, who presently was holding the Education portfolio has now been entrusted with the Food and Civil Supplies department while Ramkishore Meena will work as Labour, Employment and general administration department minister and Nand Lal Meena will be the new Tribal Development Minister.

Minister of State Surendra Goyal will hold independent charge of Urban Development, Local self Government and Housing which was held till yesterday by Mr Pratap Singh Singhvi while Mr Singhvi would now work as Minister of State for Environment and Forests with independent charge.

The Chief Minister inducted five new ministers--Mr Gurjar, Mr Ramkishore Meena, Mr Saraf, Mr Nand Lal Meena and Mr Goyal--in the ministry and dropped three others Kirodi Lal Meena, Chunni Lal Dhakad and Virendra Meena.

In re-allocation of porfolios necessitated following yesterday's expansion of cabinet ministers Ghanshyam Tiwari, Narpat Singh Rajvi, Dr Digambar Singh and Minister of State Pratap Singh Singhvi have been changed while the portfolios of cabinet ministers Laxmi Narain Dave, Yunus Khan, Kanak Mal Katara and Prabhu Lal Saini have been lightened.

Industries, NRIs Department, Khadi and Gramodhyog and State Enterprises Departments which were held by former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's son-in-law Narpat Singh Rajvi have now been allocated to Health Minister Dr Digambar Singh while Mr Rajvi would now hold the latter's portfolios including family welfare, Ayurved and Medical Education.

Tribal Development Department has been taken away from Kanak Mal Katara who would now holds only Women and Child Development and Printing and Stationery Departments. Likewise Mr Laxmi Narain Dave was stripped off Environment and Forests portfolio and would now look after only Mines, Relief and Crisis Management Departments.

Yunus Khan has also been relieved from the charge of Sports and Youth Affairs and would now hold only Transport portfolio.

In the process ministers like Mr Tiwari, Mr Rajvi, Mr Dave and Mr Katara who either symbolised as ''dissidents'' or had attracted the ''Chief Minister's displeasure'' otherwise were shifted to less important portfolios while ministers like Mr Digambar Singh, Pratap Singh Singhvi, Kali Charan Saraf and Nathu Singh Gurjar who were either known as Chief Ministers close confidantes or newly inducted members have been given important portfolios.

Mr Tiwari who prior to the reshuffle was looking after entire education portfolio, including primary, college and Sanskrit education departments has now been left with the partial charge of Dr Kirodi Lal Meena who had resigned from the cabinet.

Mr Meena's portfolios were distributed between Mr Tiwari and newly inducted minister Mr Ram Kishore Meena. While Food and Civil Supplies Department was allocated to Mr Tiwari, Labour, Employment and GAD and state Motor Garage were entrusted to Mr meena.

UNI