Continuing his anti-graft campaign, Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri on Tuesday announced the setting up of a new department to fight against corruption and ensure good governance and public service.
This department will be under the charge of the Chief Minister, an official statement quoted Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar as saying.
Mr. Khanduri also announced allocation of portfolios for all of his ministerial colleagues and retained most of the key departments to himself.
Mr. Khanduri has retained all the cabinet ministers who had worked under the previous Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank government.
In addition to anti-corruption department, Mr. Khanduri retained the key portfolios of Finance, Energy, Home, Industrial Development, PWD, Civil Aviation, Forest and Environment and charge of some other departments.
Matbar Singh Kandari has been given charge of the departments of Irrigation, Small Irrigation and Education. Bansidhar Bhagat will look after Health, Transport and Ayush. Prakash Pant has been given Planning, Parliamentary Affairs and Excise.
Madan Kaushik has been entrusted the departments of Urban Development, Sugarcane and Tourism.
Diwakar Bhatt, who is heading Uttarakhand Kranti Dal UKD, a coalition partner of ruling BJP, would head the departments of Revenue, Food and Supply.
Trivendra Singh Rawat would continue to head the departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Disaster Management.
Vijay Barthwal will again head the department of Rural Development and Women’s Welfare.
Govind Singh Bist has been given the responsibility of Law and Justice along with labour departments.
Balwant Singh Bhoriyal will head the departments of IT, Secretariat Administration and Social Welfare.
Rajendra Singh Bhandari, an independent MLA who is supporting the BJP government, has been given charge of the departments of Panchayati Raj and Renewable Energy.
Khajan Das will get Sports and Youth Welfare.
