Lucknow:
Controversial Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was today divested of Prison department in a reshuffle of portfolios by Chief Minster Akhilesh Yadav. Raja Bhaiya, however, retains other departments like Food and Logistics, Civil Supplies, Rent Control and Consumer protection.
In the reshuffle of portfolios while allotting departments to new ministers, the Prison department has been given to newly-appointed Rajendra Chowdhury.
Transport department has been taken from Raja Mahendra Aridaman Singh and given to Cabinet Minister Durga Prasad Yadav.
\A notification in this regard was issued by Governor B L Joshi, official release said here.
Horticulture department has been taken from Rajkishore Singh and given to Parasa Nath Yadav, who was minor Irrigation minister, while Tourism department, which was with the Chief Minister, has been given to Om Prakash Singh.
Among state ministers with independent charge, newly-appointed minister Vijay Kumar Mishra has been given the charge of Alternative Energy Department.
Tej Narain Pandey alias Pawan Pandey has been given Entertainment Tax department while Gayatri Prasad Prajapati will now have the charge of Irrigation Department.
Newly-appointed Yogesh Pratap Singh alias Yogesh bhaiya has been given Basic Education Department while Nitin Agarwal has been given the charge of Medical and Health department, it said.
Vinod Kumar Singh alias Pandit Singh, who was re-inducted in Akhilesh's cabinet, has been given the charge of Secondary Education Department while Manoj Kumar Pandey has been given Agriculture (export, marketing and trade).
Alok Kumar Shakya has been given Technical Education, while Vijay Bahadur Pal has been given the charge of Secondary Education department with Pandit Singh.
Ram Murti Singh verma has been given Backward Welfare department while Abishek Misra has been given Science and Technology portfolio.