Haryana portfolio allocation: CM Saini keeps home, finance; Vij gets energy

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini kept key departments, including home and finance, while Anil Vij got energy and transport as portfolios were allocated to the Council of Ministers on Sunday, three days after the swearing-in of a new government in the state.

Saini will handle 12 portfolios. Besides home and finance, he is also in charge of planning, excise and taxation, town and country planning and urban estates, information, public relations, language and culture, criminal investigation, law and legislative, and housing for all departments.

Vij, who held the home portfolio when Manohar Lal Khattar was the chief minister, has now also been given the charge of the labour department, in addition to energy and transport.

The health department, which Vij handled during the Khattar government, has now been allotted to Arti Singh Rao, who will also take care of the medical education and research and Ayush departments, said a government order issued late in the night here.

Saini (54) took oath as the chief minister of Haryana at a grand ceremony in Panchkula on Thursday that was attended by a galaxy of NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and thousands of people from across the state.

Apart from him, 13 MLAs, including two women, took oath.

Rao Narbir Singh has been allotted industries and commerce, environment, forests and wildlife departments while Mahipal Dhanda got the school education department.

Vipul Goel has been allotted revenue and disaster management, urban local bodies and the civil aviation departments while Arvind Sharma will handle jails and cooperation portfolios.

Shyam Singh Rana will take care of the agriculture and farmers welfare department while Ranbir Gangwa will handle public health engineering. Krishan Kumar Bedi has social justice, empowerment, and SCs and BCs welfare departments while the women and child development portfolio will be handled by Shruti Choudhry.

Among other Ministers, Krishan Lal Panwar has been allocated development and panchayats, and mines and geology departments.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) Rajesh Nagar has been allocated food, civil supplies and consumer affairs while Minister of State Gaurav Gautam (Independent Charge) will handle youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, and sports departments.

The Governor of Haryana, on the advice of the chief minister, has allocated portfolios to the members of the Council of Ministers, the order said.

The BJP has won 48 out of 90 seats in the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls.