New Delhi, 3 September(Wishav Warta): Portfolio list released. Nirmala Sitharaman replaces Arun Jaitley as defence minister, only the second woman to hold the post since former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Suresh Prabhu gets commerce after Piyush Goyal takes over as railways. New minister of state, Hardeep Puri to be MoS urban development ministry. Arun Jaitley keeps finance and corporate affairs ministries. Uma Bharti given drinking water and sanitation portfolio.
Bharti’s earlier portfolio of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation is given as additional charge to Nitin Gadkari, who already holds transport. Smriti Irani, who is minister of textiles, retains additional charge of information and broadcasting. Dharmendra Pradhan, who was elevated as a Cabinet minister, keeps petroleum and natural gas. Is also given additional charge of skill development and entrepreneurship, a portfolio that was earlier help by Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Among the new ministers of state, Hardeep Singh Puri was given independent charge of ministry of housing and urban affairs. Raj Kumar Singh has been given independent charge of the ministry of power, and new and renewable energy. Alphons Kannathanam given independent charge of the tourism, and ministry of electronics and information technology.
