In a major Cabinet reshuffle of the Union government, Rajyavardhan Rathore has replaced Smriti Irani as the new I&B minister. Also, the Finance Ministry, which was being handled by Arun Jaitley, will now be headed by Piyush Goyal, till the time Jaitley recovers from the surgery.
Rashtrapati Bhavan in an official release said, “During the period of indisposition of Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister; the portfolios of Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs held by him, be temporarily assigned to Shri Piyush Goyal, in addition to his existing portfolios.”
“Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore be assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in place of Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, presently Minister of Information and Broadcasting,” release added.
According to the release, “Shri S.S. Ahluwalia, Minister of State be relieved of the charge of Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation and assigned the portfolio of Ministry of State in the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.”
“Shri Alphons Kannanthanam, Minister of State be relieved of the charge of Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology,” release stated.
Smriti Irani is only left with the Textile Ministry. She was earlier removed as the HRD Minister and now she has been shunted out of I&B ministry after being embroiled in controversy with the board of prasar bharti.
