Minor rejig in Delhi ministerial Cabinet

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday assigned an additional portfolio to his trusted aide and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Sisodia will now also look after the Tourism department, which was earlier handled by Water minister Rajender Pal Gautam.

An official said that tourism will be one of the focus areas of the Aam Aadmi Party government, along with education and health.

The government also plans to make rural Delhi intrinsic to its development agenda.

"Manish Sisodia has been given additional charge of Tourism, Art and Culture Department as the Delhi government now has its key focus on tourism," Nagendra Sharma, Media Adviser to the Chief Minister, said.

Additionally, Sisodia has been relieved of his charge of the Revenue department and Registrar of Cooperative Societies. Sources said that the Deputy Chief Minister had requested Kejriwal to allow him to shed some portfolios. He will continue to look after Education, Finance and other departments.

Gautam, who also holds the Social Welfare portfolio, has been handed over the additional charge of Registrar of Cooperative Societies.

The Revenue department, meanwhile, has been handed over to Law and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.

Gahlot and Gautam were inducted into the Cabinet in May. Sisodia's departments of Law, Information Technology and Administrative Reforms were given to Gahlot.