Sushma keeps Home
Transport for Devinder
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 14 — Delhi Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj, today allocated the same portfolios to the ministers which had been held by them in Mr Sahib Singh Verma's Cabinet.

Mr Devinder Singh, who replaced Mr Rajendra Gupta, was allocated the Transport and Development portfolio.

Announcing the allocation, the Chief Minister said there were no changes in the portfolios allocated to the ministers. "The portfolios handled by Mr Rajendra Gupta have been distributed. Excise would now be handled by Prof Jagdish Mukhi and Law and Order is being kept by me," she said.

Swaraj said that an additional portfolio had been allocated to every minister.

The Chief Minister has kept the Home portfolio, excluding the Administration of Jails, Service, General Administration, Administrative Reforms, Urban Development, Land and Building, Vigilance, and Revenue, excluding Gurdwara Elections and the Administration of Gurdwaras, Irrigation and Flood Control and all other subjects not allocated to any other minister.

Mr Harsharan Singh Balli will now have the Languages portfolio, besides Gurdwara Elections and the Administration of Gurdwaras, Industries and the Administration of Jails.

Prof Jagdish Mukhi will handle Excise and Training and Technical Education, besides the portfolios being handled by him earlier.

Mr Surendra Pal Ratawal has been given charge of Employment in addition to the portfolios which he was handling in Mr Sahib Singh Verma's Cabinet.

While Dr Harshvardhan has been given the additional charge of Elections, Ms Poornima Sethi has been allocated Environment, Forest and Wildlife in addition to the portfolios handled by them in the previous ministry.

Mr Devinder Singh, a Sahib Singh loyalist, has been allocated Transport and Development.

Earlier, there had been speculation that Mr Devinder Singh would not be allocated the Transport portfolio and it would instead be handled by Mr Harsharan Singh Balli. However, it was put to rest by Mrs Swaraj’s announcement.

The ministers seemed pleased by the allocation of portfolios. The new why inducted minister, Mr Devinder Singh, said that he would work hard to bring about an improvement in the rural areas, "where there is need for development work." He also said that the transport sector would be given priority by him so that the problems being faced by the commuters could be solved.

A minister pointed out that had the Chief Minister made changes in the portfolios, there would have been little time left to take stock of the situation. "Now, there would be continuation of our work," he said.