Virbhadra retains key portfolios

Tourism, home, public works, planning, finance, personnel, general administration, education and a host of other portfolios have been retained by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, and the rest have been distributed to his nine ministers.

Vidya Stokes, second in seniority after Singh, has been made the horticulture, IT and irrigation and public health minister.

Kaul Singh gets health, revenue and law. While G S Bali has been entrusted with transport, food and civil supplies, technical education and vocational & industrial training. Sujan Singh Pathania, another MLA from Kangra district, has been allocated power portfolio and agriculture.

Mukesh Aghnihotri from Una district has been given the industries, labour and employment, parliamentary affairs, information and public relations. Thakur Singh Bharmauri from Chamba’s Bharmaur tribal seat gets forests and fisheries.

Prakash Chaudhary from Mandi district has been assigned excise and taxation. Dhani Ram Shandil gets the social justice and empowerment and sainik welfare portfolio.

There is a talk of inducting two other ministers soon. The names of Anil Sharma from Mandi and Karan Singh from Kullu are doing the rounds.

Singh gave a signal that he would soon step down as the state Congress party chief.