Kejriwal reshuffles Cabinet, reallocates Sisodia’s portfolios

New Delhi: In a bid to sharpen the AAP government’s priorities, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday reallocated portfolios of his deputy Manish Sisodia. 

According to a notification issued by the general administration department, Mr Sisodia has been handed over the portfolios of tourism and arts, culture and languages from water minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.

But he has been divested of the charge of the revenue department and registrar of cooperative societies. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot has been given the revenue department while Mr Gautam the registrar of cooperative societies, the notification said.

However, the deputy chief minister, who sources said had requested Mr Kejriwal to allow him to shed some portfolios, will continue to look after education, finance and other departments.

Tourism will be one of the focus areas of the AAP government along with education and health, an official said. The government also plans to make rural Delhi intrinsic to its development agenda.

Apart from tourism and art, culture and languages portfolios, Mr Sisodia will look after nine departments and also all other departments that has not specifically been allotted to any minister. Mr Kejriwal, however, does not hold any portfolio. Mr Gahlot and Mr Gautam were inducted into the Cabinet in May this year.

Mr Sisodia’s departments of law department, information technology and administrative reforms were given to Mr Gahlot, who had also got the transport portfolio from health minister Satyendar Jain.