Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 9: The Government today ordered appointments of seven new chairpersons of the District Development Boards (DDBs). The postings were necessitated following dropping of five Cabinet Ministers-four by the BJP and one by the PDP-in the recent reshuffle in the Council of Ministry.
Newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta would head the DDB Jammu replacing his predecessor Dr Nirmal Singh. Dr Singh was, however, head of two DDBs including Jammu and Samba.
Gupta’s party colleague and Minister for Housing and Urban Development Department, Sat Sharma will be new chairman of the DDB Samba.
Tourism Minister Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, who was previously not heading any DDB, has been appointed as Chairman of Poonch Board while Mohammad Khalil Band, newly appointed Minister for Agriculture Production will be Chairman of Kulgam DDB.
Forests Minister Rajiv Jasrotia will be new Chairman of Kishtwar DDB while Power Minister Sunil Sharma will head Udhampur DDB.
Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Mohammad Ashraf Mir has been appointed as new chairman of Shopian DDB.
The new chairpersons of DDBs would replace Dr Nirmal Singh, Choudhary Lal Singh, Bali Bhagat and Chander Prakash Ganga, all BJP and Abdul Haq Khan of PDP, who were dropped from the Cabinet recently by the BJP and PDP.
Health and Medical Education Minister Dr Devender Manyal hasn’t been appointed head of any Development Board in the absence of any vacancy.
There are 21 Cabinet Ministers in the State as against 20 DDBs-10 each in Jammu and Kashmir regions. Ladakh region with two districts of Leh and Kargil didn’t have any DDB as they have Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would continue to head the District Development Board of Srinagar.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, who was chairman of two Boards of Baramulla and Kulgam, will now head only Baramulla DDB.
Revenue Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone will be Chairman of Rajouri DDB while Minister for Horticulture, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Basharat Ahmad Bukhari will head the Ramban DDB.
Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Ghani Lone will continue to head Doda DDB while Chering Dorjay, Minister for Cooperatives and Ladakh Affairs will stay as chairman of Reasi DDB.
Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, Minister for School Education will remain the chairman of Kupwara DDB and Sham Choudhary, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, will stay as head of the Kathua DDB.
Works Minister will be head of Pulwama DDB, Abdul Ghani Kohli, Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry as chairman of Budgam DDB, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Finance Minister as chairman of Anantnag DDB and Imran Raza Ansari, Minister for Information Technology will be chairman of Bandipora DDB.
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