Mehbooba Mufti counts on better work after cabinet rejig

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that she hopes the new state cabinet ministers will work better.

"A new team has come. The old team had also done good work. The new team has young and educated people and I hope they will work better," Mufti told media here.

A major cabinet reshuffle was made in Mehbooba Mufti led PDP-BJP government on Monday with induction of new faces.

Ahead of the reshuffle of the council of ministers, Nirmal Singh tendered his resignation from the post of deputy chief minister on Sunday. Nirmal Singh has been appointed as State Assembly speaker.

Kavinder Gupta, who took over as Deputy Chief Minister took oath today.

Besides Gupta, other legislators who sworn in as cabinet ministers include PDP's Pulwama MLA Mohammad Khalil Band, BJP's state unit chief Sat Paul Sharma, PDP MLA from Sonwar Mohammad Ashraf Mir, BJP's Kathua MLA Rajiv Jasrotia, Sambha MLA Devinder Kumar Manyal.

Sunil Kumar Sharma, who is presently serving as minister of state for transport, has been elevated to the rank of a cabinet minister. BJP's Doda MLA Shakti Raj took oath as a minister of state.

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh attended the event.

J&K Governor N N Vohra administered the oath to the new ministers in the swearing-in ceremony held in Jammu this afternoon.

The state can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining 11 with the BJP.