Shah allocates work to his two deputies

Home Minister Amit Shah has allocated work to his two deputies G Kishan Reddy and Nityanand Rai -- that include affairs of Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast and Centre-state relations, officials said.

While Reddy has been given divisions like Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast, Union Territories, cyber security and counter-radicalisation, Rai has been allocated Centre-state division, Police-I (that looks after transfer postings of IPS officers), foreigners divisions and others.

Besides the Intelligence Bureau, Shah will take care of all decisions involving Cabinet matters and President's house.

Shah will also be the final authority to take any decisions in subjects allocated to the two ministers of state in his ministry, a home ministry official said.

This is the first time that both the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir divisions have been allocated to the same minister of state.

In the previous NDA government, junior minister Kiren Rijiju was in-charge of the Northeast division and his colleague Hansraj G Ahir was looking after counter-radicalisation and Kashmir affairs.

Rijiju is now in charge of the youth affairs and sports ministry, while Ahir had lost his election.

According to the work allocation, Reddy will handle the issues related to freedom fighters, internal security, counter terrorism and counter radicalisation, Left wing extremism, Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast, police modernisation, cyber security, union territories, women safety and judicial.

Rai will handle affairs related to official language, administration, border management, Centre-state relations, international cooperation disaster management, foreigners and police.