Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday approved Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s proposal to allocate new departments to ministers Kailash Gahlot and Rajkumar Anand.
Kejriwal had sent a proposal to allot eight portfolios to Gahlot and 10 portfolios to Anand. The move was necessitated after Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and minister Satyendar Jain resigned from their respective positions in the government.
Sisodia was arrested on February 26 in connection with the liquor policy scam, while Jain was arrested on May 30 last year in connection with a money laundering case and is currently being held in Tihar Jail. Kejriwal has given both ministers major portfolios, including Home, Health, and Education, in addition to the departments they already hold.
In a notification by the Delhi government, Gahlot has been given the responsibility of Finance, Planning, Public Works Department, Power, Home, Urban Development, Irrigation and Flood Control, and Water departments, which is in addition to the departments he is currently holding.
Anand has been assigned the Education portfolio (previously held by Sisodia), Land and Building, Vigilance (also held by Sisodia), Services, Tourism, Art, Culture & Language, Labour, Employment, Health (previously held by Jain, then Sisodia after Jain’s arrest), and Industries.
Meanwhile, sources said today that chief minister Kejriwal has recommended Aam Aadmi Party MLAs Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi for appointment as ministers to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.