The President has directed that this arrangement may continue till Mr Naik resumes his work (File)
The Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, Kiren Rijiju, has been temporarily assigned the charge of the Ministry of AYUSH, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued on Tuesday.
The move was necessitated as Shripad Yesso Naik, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Goa.
Mr Naik, 68, was admitted to the hospital on January 12 after he met with an accident while on his way back to Goa from Karnataka.
The minister's wife and his close aide died in the accident.
"The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed that during the hospitalization and treatment of Mr Naik, following a road accident, his portfolio related to Ministry of AYUSH be temporarily assigned to Kiren Rijiju in addition to his existing portfolios," according to the statement.
The President has further directed that this arrangement may continue till Mr Naik resumes his work related to the Ministry of AYUSH, it said.