Hours after ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, arrested on corruption charges, resigned from the Arvind Kejriwal-led cabinet, Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot was on Tuesday (February 28, 2023) given the additional charge of finance and power while Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand was handed over the education and health departments. Sisodia was in charge of 18 of the 33 departments in the Delhi administration; as a temporary measure, his portfolios have been split between Gahlot and Anand. The change occurred after Kejriwal accepted the resignations of the two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders who were instrumental in carrying out his plan for good governance, including providing the capital with top-notch educational and medical facilities.
Gahlot already held four portfolios and was in charge of six divisions.
“Till the time new ministers are appointed, the allotment of additional portfolios for the interim period will see Gahlot taking care of finance, planning, public works department, power, home, urban development, irrigation and flood control, and water along with his existing departments,” news agency quoted an official as saying.
The official continued, “In addition to his current portfolios, Raj Kumar Anand will be responsible for education, land and building, vigilance, services, tourism, art culture and language, labor, employment, health, and industries.
While Satyendar Jain, who is presently lodged in Tihar, was detained by the Enforcement Directorate in May of last year in connection with a money laundering case, Manish Sisodia was detained by the CBI on Sunday evening after nearly nine hours of questioning in the now-scrapped excise policy case.
Jain nevertheless kept his position as a minister in the Delhi administration despite having no portfolios. Sisodia received Jain’s portfolios, which included the departments of health, housing, and municipal development.
