Five days after taking over, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Saturday allocated portfolios among the ministers retaining Home while giving finance to his National Conference colleague Abdul Rahim Rather and Housing and Urban Development to Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand of C. Tara Chand was given charge also of ministries of municipalities, elections and printing and stationery. Besides Finance, Rather has been given Law and Parliamentary Affairs while Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed of Congress was given charge of School Education and Public Enterprises departments.
Nawang Rigzin Jora (Congress) has been allotted Tourism and Culture while Surjit Singh Slathia (NC) was given Industries and Commerce, Labour and Employment. Ali Mohammad Sagar (NC) was allotted Rural Development and Panchayats and his party colleague Mian Altaf Ahmad Forests, Environment and Ecology. Taj Mohi-ud-din of Congress was assigned the departments of Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control.
Sham Lal Sharma of Congress was allotted the portfolios of Health, Horticulture and Floriculture. All other portfolios, including general administration, public works, revenue and rehabilitation, social welfare and consumer affairs and public distribution are with the chief minister, an official spokesman said.