Uttarakhand govt allocates portfolios after Cabinet expansion

The Uttarakhand government on Sunday allocated portfolios to its ministers following the recent Cabinet expansion,with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami retaining a wide range of key departments. An official notification detailed the distribution of responsibilities among members of the Council of Ministers. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has retained departments and responsibilities including personnel and vigilance, secretariat administration, planning, state property, information, home, prisons, civil defence and home guard, revenue, industrial development and mining, council of ministers, labour, drinking water, energy and alternative energy, excise, justice, civil aviation, finance, commercial tax, stamp and registration, and housing.
Satpal Maharaj has been assigned the Public Works Department (PWD), rural construction, culture, religious affairs, tourism, irrigation, minor irrigation, and general administration. Subodh Uniyal will handle Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Technical Education, Language, and Election-related matters. Dhan Singh Rawat has been given charge of School Education, Higher Education, Health, and Medical Education, placing him in charge of key sectors related to education and healthcare services in the state. Ganesh Joshi has been allocated Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, Horticulture, and Agricultural Marketing. Premchand Aggarwal will handle Urban Development, Housing, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Rekha Arya has been given responsibility for Women’s Empowerment and Child Development, along with Social Welfare programmes. Chandan Ram Dass will look after Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs. Saurabh Bahuguna has been assigned Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries.Khajan Das has been assigned social welfare, minority welfare, student welfare, and language. Bharat Singh Chaudhary has been assigned rural development, MSME, and khadi and village industries. Madan Kaushik has been assigned panchayati raj, disaster management and rehabilitation, AYUSH and AYUSH Education, reorganization, and census.Pradeep Batra has been assigned transport, information technology and good governance (Suraj), science and technology, and biotechnology. Ram Singh Kaira has been allocated urban development, environmental protection and climate change, and watershed management.
The expansion and allocation of portfolios come at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing for the 2027 assembly elections and aiming to secure a third consecutive term in the state. Five ministerial positions had been lying vacant in the cabinet led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.