Delhi reshuffle: Goswami in, Singhal out, Walia loses Finance

New Delhi, Feb 16: Two years into her third term, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday reshuffled her Cabinet by dropping a minister. Inducting a loyalist and changing portfolios of almost all Ministers including senior leader AK Walia, who has been moved to Health from the plum Finance Ministry.

While Social Welfare Minister Mangat Ram Singhal was axed, Ramakant Goswami, a three-time MLA, was inducted into the Council of Ministers in the revamp, seen as sending a subtle message by Dikshit to her detractors.

The revamp, the first such exercise after Dikshit came to power for the third consecutive term. Also, saw Walia losing the Urban Development and Land and building Departments and Finance being taken over by the Chief Minister.

In redistribution of portfolios, Dikshit allocated Revenue, Health and Flood and Irrigation departments to Walia, who is not known to have best of relations with the Dikshit.

Relieving him of the Finance department is being seen as an effort to reduce his influence.

Harun Yusuf, who was holding Food and Civil Supplies as well as Industries department has been divested of Industries and given two new departments -Power and Development.

Power department was earlier under the Chief Minister while Raj Kumar Chauhan was in-charge of Development department.

PTI