Cabinet Expansion: Now it official, Omar’s govt gets more wings to fly

Qamar, Chib, Mir, Sakina, Bhalla, Saroori, Malik, Ruhulla Cabinet Ministers;Ajaz, Manohar MOS with Independent Charge, Shabir, Nasir, Dar MOS

SRINAGAR, July 11: Adding more wings to its collation government to fly fast, as finally Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today expanded his ministry by inducting 13 new ministers.

In a function held here at SKICC, the Governor, N. N. Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy as Cabinet Ministers to Qamar Ali Akhoon, R. S. Chib, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Miss Sakina Itoo, Raman Bhalla, G. M. Saroori, Abdul Gani Malik and Aga Syed Ruhulla.

Ajaz Ahmad Khan and Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma were given oath as Ministers of State with Independent Charge while as Shabir Ahmad Khan, Nasir Aslam Wani and Javid Ahmad Dar took oath as Ministers of State.

With this the number of the state cabinet reaches to 23 including the chief minister and his deputy Tara Chand. Two seats have been left vacant to counter crises if arisen.

Some of the NC and Congress leaders who along with their supporters reached the SKICC but were surprised as their name were not figuring in the list.

The induction of R S Chib astonished all and some of the senior congress leaders raised their eye brows on the AICC chief.

Kashmiri Pandits have also shown their resentment for not getting representation in the state cabinet.

Unconfirmed sources claim that Ch Mohd Aslam resigned from the CLP leadership in the evening, However, PCC chief Prof Saif-u-din announced Aslam’s name as chairman Gujjar Bakerwal Board with cabinet status.

The function among others was attended by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Union Ministers Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Prthviraj Chawhan, Speaker Legislative Assembly, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, former Union Minister and President JKPCC, Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz, Ministers Abdul Rahim Rather, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mian Altaf Ahmad,Taj Mohi-ud-Duin, Sham Lal Sharma, Surjit Singh Slathia, Deputy Chairman, Legislative Council, A. S. Micky, legislators and senior civil and police officers.