Srinagar, August 29
The Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, today expanded his Cabinet by inducting nine more ministers, taking its total strength to 22. One of his ministers of state was elevated to the Cabinet rank.
The Governor, Lieut-Gen S.K. Sinha, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at Raj Bhavan here.
Those sworn in included three Cabinet ministers. The expansion saw induction of five ministers each from the Congress and the PDP.
Now, the number of Cabinet ministers increased from 11 to 14, apart from the Chief minister, and that of Ministers of State from two to seven.
Two districts of Kupwara and Poonch continued to remain un-represented in the ministry. The Kashmiri Pandits and women also did not find any representation in the expansion.
The Minister of State for Works, Mr Gulchain Singh Charak, of the Congress was elevated to the Cabinet rank.
Mr Mohammad Dilawar Mir (PDP), who won byelections from the Rafiabad constituency in Baramula district this year, was sworn in as Cabinet minister. He had remained a minister in National Conference governments since 1977 and resigned from the party and the Assembly before joining
the PDP this year.
Mr Jugal Kishore (Congress), who was a Minister of State in the Mufti government, was also sworn in as Cabinet minister.
Those sworn in as Ministers of State were Dr Ramesh Chandra Sharma, Mr Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Mr Prem Sagar Aziz (all Congress), Mr Javed Mustaffa Mir, Sardar Manjit Singh, Mr Peer Mohammad Hussain and Mr Mohammad Khalil Bandh (all PDP).
Former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed; PDP President Mehbooba Mufti; Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh; Chairman, Legislative Council, Abdul Rashid Dar; and Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Tara Chand, were present, among others, at the swearing-in ceremony.
