By IANS
Chandigarh : Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda expanded his cabinet Wednesday evening by inducting two new faces and reshuffled portfolios of some ministers.
The two new ministers, Mange Ram Gupta and A.C. Chaudhari, were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor A.R. Kidwai at the Governor House here.
Both had been ministers in the state in 1990s.
Gupta was a close confidant of former chief minister and Congress leader Bhajan Lal. He was also part of the Bhajan Lal cabinet till 1996. Gupta recently switched loyalties to the Hooda camp.
With their inclusion, the strength of the Hooda cabinet has gone up to 13, including the chief minister and his deputy Chander Mohan. While 10 of them are cabinet ministers, three are ministers of state.
The state can have 14 ministers in total. Hooda has kept one slot still vacant.
The Congress government has completed half of its five-year term.
While announcing portfolios of the two new ministers, Hooda made changes in the portfolios of seven ministers.
Gupta will hold the portfolio of education, languages and transport. The crucial transport portfolio has been taken away from high-profile minister Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Chaudhri has been given urban local bodies, industrial training and vocational education and technical education.
Surjewala will now be minister for labour and employment, water supply and sanitation and parliamentary affairs.
Finance Minister Birender Singh will also hold the portfolios of planning, institutional finance and credit control and excise and taxation. The excise and taxation department was earlier with the chief minister. Singh earlier held the labour and employment portfolio.
Agriculture Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha will also hold the charge of cooperation, animal husbandry and dairy and fisheries.
Irrigation Minister Ajay Singh Yadav will also be minister for public works department (PWD) and elections. Lachhman Dass Arora will be the minister for industries and commerce, mines and geology.
Minister of State Kiran Chaudhary will hold independent charge of forests, tourism, sports and youth affairs and environment. Savitri Jindal, mother of Congress MP Naveen Jindal, will hold independent charge as minister of state for revenue and disaster management, consolidation and rehabilitation.