Ministerial-rank posts for 25 BJP leaders in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand chief minister RP Nishank has appointed 25 state BJP leaders to various ministerial-rank posts.

According a notification issued here late last night, Bansi Dhar Bhagat, who lost the cabinet berth following the change of guard in June, was given the post of deputy chairman of the 20-point programme.

Former health minister Ajay Bhatt would be the new adviser to the health department. Former state BJP presidents Manohar Kant Dhyani and Puran Chand Sharma have been made eputy chairmen of state planning commission and state mandi parishad respectively, official sources said here today.

Balraj Pasi, who once hogged limelight by defeating former chief minister N D Tiwari from Nainital seat in 1991 Lok Sabha polls, would head the seed certification agency of Uttarkhand.

Early this week, Nishank had distributed such posts to seven party MLAs, who were made parliamentary secretaries. A total of 32 leaders have so far been given such ministerial-rank posts.

Meanwhile, former state party president Bachi Singh Rawat has turned down an offer to accept the such a post. "I am a humble worker, it will be better if other deserving leaders get such posts," Rawat told reporters.