Delhi cabinet reshuffle: Atishi to get finance, revenue

Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were sworn in as ministers in March this year following the resignation of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, who are in jail

In a portfolio reshuffle by the Delhi government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Atishi will likely get the charge of finance, revenue, and planning, officials aware of the development said.

Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi (Twitter/@AtishiAAP)

Atishi, along with Saurabh Bharadwaj were sworn in as ministers in March this year following the resignations of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, who are in jail.

Kailash Gahlot currently holds the finance and revenue portfolio. The portfolio change will come into effect after a notification is issued, officials said.

Meanwhile, a row erupted over the cabinet reshuffle on Thursday after a Delhi government official claimed that the portfolio reshuffle was pending with LG Saxena for the last four days. The official also claimed that previously the LG used to approve such files within half an hour.

Refuting the allegations, an official in the LG office said, “The LG received the file on Tuesday and approved the portfolio reshuffle on Wednesday,” the official said.

After the notification is issued, Atishi will be handling a total of 12 departments. She currently handles nine departments in the cabinet — education, power, public works department, women and child development, art & culture, tourism, higher education, training and technical education, and public relations.

In the last portfolio reshuffle done on June 1, Atishi was given the charge of public relations department which was under Kailash Gahlot.