JAIPUR, Dec 21: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today retained 46 ministries as she alloted portfolios of Rural Development and Panchayti Raj, Health and Mines among her Cabinet ministers.
She allotted Rural Development and Panchayti Raj Ministry to Gulab Chand Kataria and Health Ministry to Rajendra Rathore.
Kailash Meghwal was given the Mines Ministry and Kalicharan Saraf was alloted the Education Ministry. Sanwar Mal Jat was appointed the Water Resources Minister.
The ministries retained by Raje include Finance and Home.
Yesterday, nine BJP MLAs were sworn in as Cabinet ministers while three others were given independent charge as Minister of State in the Vasundhra Raje Government.
Two of the nine cabinet ministers, Kataria and Rathore have criminal charges against them.
Kataria, former Home Minister in previous term of Raje, is accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case of Gujarat in which CBI has filed a supplementary chargesheet against him early this year.
A Mumbai court has granted him an anticipatory bail.
Rathore was arrested and sent to jail by CBI in connection with the Dara Singh fake encounter case in which about a dozen policemen are already in jail.
A Jaipur court had discharged him in a controversial order even before charges were framed against him.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has retained Finance, Home and Justice, Personnel, Administrative Reforms, GAD, Estate, State Investigation Bureau, Home Guard and Civil Defence and Jail portfolios.
She will also have Industry, Revenue, Colonisation, Devsthan, Waqf, Soldiers Welfare, Forest, Excise, Taxation, Urban Development, Labour, Employment and Publication departments.
The Chief Minister has also kept Factories and Boilers Inspection, Art and Culture, Law and Legal Affairs, Planning, Planning Manpower, IT, Cabinet Secretariat, Election, Statistics, Public Enterprises, Language and Public Grievances departments.
Further, Tourism, Environment, Public Relations, Women and Child Development, Youth Affairs, Transport, Science and Technology, Policy Decision Cell-CM Secretariat, Civil Aviation, State Motor Garage, Overseas Indian Department, Minorities Affairs portfolios will also remain with the Chief Minister.
Gulab Chand Kataria has been alloted Rural Development and Panchayti Raj and Disaster Management and Relief portfolios.
Nand Lal Meena has been given Tribal Development Department, while Rajendra Singh Rathore has Medical and Health Department, Ayurved, Medial and Health Services (ESI) Department and Parliamentary Affairs.
Kalicharan Saraf has been given Education and Sanskrit Education department and Technical Education department.
Kailash Meghwal has been given the responsibilty of Mines. Sanwar Lal Jat will look after Water resources department, Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Public Health and Engineering Department, Ground Water Department, Command Area Development and Water Management.
Prabhu Lal Saini has been alloted Agriculture and Agriculture Marketing, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy. Gajendra Singh Khinvsar will be incharge of Energy. Yunus Khan has been given Public Works Department.
There are three Ministers of State (independent charge).
Arun Chaturvedi (Social Justice and Empowerment Department), Ajay Singh (Cooperatives Department) and Hem Singh Bhadana (Food and Civil Supply Department and Consumers Affairs Department). (PTI)
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