SRINAGAR: Omar Abdullah has handed over Finance, Revenue, Power Development and Law as four new ministers join the Cabinet. Every minister from the previous council has lost at least one department, while Satish Sharma’s portfolios have been distributed among three ministers.
A day after four National Conference legislators were sworn in at Lok Bhawan, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha issued an order allocating portfolios to the expanded Council of Ministers on the advice of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, reshaping the distribution of responsibilities within the government.
The most significant change is at the top. Omar, who had retained Finance, Revenue, Power Development, Law, Planning and Culture, has now handed over all six departments. Five have been assigned to other ministers, while Finance has gone to Javid Ahmad Dar, the Rafiabad MLA who has been part of the Council of Ministers since 2024.
Sagar gets Revenue, Power and Law
Ali Mohammad Sagar, the Khanyar MLA who relinquished the National Conference general secretary post to join the Cabinet, has been assigned Revenue, Power Development, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, and Elections.
Four of these portfolios have been transferred directly from the Chief Minister, while Elections was previously held by Javid Ahmad Dar.
Saifullah gets Planning, Culture and Sports
Mir Saifullah, the Trehgam MLA from Kupwara, has been assigned Planning, Development and Monitoring, Culture, Youth Services and Sports, and ARI and Trainings.
Planning and Culture were previously held by Omar, while Youth Services and Sports and ARI and Trainings were part of Satish Sharma’s portfolio. Sharma was dropped from the Council of Ministers on Tuesday.
Firdous gets Education and Jal Shakti
Shameema Firdous, the three-time MLA from Habba Kadal, has been assigned School Education, Higher Education and Jal Shakti.
The two education departments have been transferred from Sakina Itoo, while Jal Shakti was previously held by Javed Ahmed Rana.
Itoo retains Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare, leaving the two women ministers with the government’s education and health portfolios.
Kaloo gets Forests and Rural Development
Altaf Ahmad Wani, the Pahalgam MLA popularly known as Altaf Kaloo, has been assigned Forest, Ecology and Environment, and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
Forest, Ecology and Environment was previously held by Rana, while Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was with Dar.
Existing ministers face reshuffle
None of the ministers from the 2024 council has retained exactly the same set of departments following the latest allocation.
Javid Ahmad Dar has emerged as a major beneficiary of the reshuffle. He retains Agriculture Production and Cooperatives, relinquishes Rural Development and Elections, and takes over Finance from Omar and Mining from Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary.
Javed Ahmed Rana has lost Jal Shakti and Forest, Ecology and Environment but retains Tribal Affairs. He has also been assigned Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and Transport, both previously held by Satish Sharma.
The two departments remain with a minister from the Jammu region but have shifted from a representative of Jammu district to Rana, who represents Mendhar in Poonch district.
Sakina Itoo has relinquished School Education and Higher Education but retains Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary has seen the least change in his portfolio allocation. He has given up Mining but retains Public Works, Industries and Commerce, Labour and Employment, and Skill Development.
What Omar retains
The order specifies that departments not allocated to any minister will remain with the Chief Minister. These include Science and Technology and Information Technology, which were previously held by Sharma but do not feature in the new allocation.
Omar also retains departments he has held since the government was formed, including General Administration, Housing and Urban Development, Tourism, Information and Hospitality.
The reshuffle places several key portfolios, including Finance, Revenue, Power Development, both education departments, Planning and Rural Development, with ministers from the Kashmir Valley.
The two ministers from the Jammu region, both representing the Pir Panjal area, will oversee Public Works, Industries and Commerce, Labour and Employment, Skill Development, Food, Transport and Tribal Affairs between them.
