Goswami made Delhi cabinet minister

NEW DELHI - Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday re-shuffled her cabinet with the induction of Ramakant Goswami while social welfare minister Mangat Ram Singhal was dropped.

A three-time Congress legislator from Rajendra Nagar, Goswami was sworn in Wednesday and took the oath in Hindi.

He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna at Raj Bhavan here.

Goswami was earlier the vice chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. He has also served as parliamentary secretary to the chief minister and as the party’s chief whip in the assembly.

A Delhi government official said: “In the redistribution of portfolios, Dikshit is likely to divest A.K. Walia of the finance and urban development departments and he may be given charge of health and revenue.”

“The chief minister may bring the finance department under her control,” said the official.

Walia is not known to have the best of relations with Dikshit and there have been differences of opinion between the two in several matters.

Sources said Goswami may be given education while urban development may go to Raj Kumar Chauhan, a staunch Dikshit loyalist.

Chauhan is likely to be divested of revenue and development department while he is set to retain public works department.

The Delhi government has seven cabinet ministers, including the chief minister.

The reshuffle takes place just two months after Dikshit completed two years in office of her third consecutive term. Dikshit held a series of meetings Tuesday to finalise the appointments.