Srinagar, October 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has allocated portfolios to the expanded Council of Ministers on the recommendation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, finalising the distribution of departmental responsibilities following a cabinet reshuffle.
The nine-member Council of Ministers has reached the prescribed ceiling for the 90-member Assembly, under the 10 per cent limit on the size of the ministry.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary has been assigned Public Works (Roads and Buildings), Industries and Commerce, Labour and Employment, and Skill Development.
Ali Muhammad Sagar will handle Revenue, Power Development, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, and the Election Department. Sakeena Masood (Itoo) retains Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare.
Javed Ahmad Rana has been given Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Tribal Affairs, and Transport. Javid Ahmad Dar will oversee Agriculture Production, Finance, Mining, and Cooperatives.
Mir Saifullah has been assigned Planning and Monitoring, Culture, Youth Services and Sports, and ARI and Trainings. Shamim Firdous will handle School Education, Higher Education, and Jal Shakti.
Altaf Ahmad Wani has been given Forest, Ecology and Environment, along with Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
Tourism and other unallocated departments will remain with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The reshuffle also saw Satish Sharma, an independent MLA from Chhamb who had previously served as a minister, dropped from the Council.
The new composition has renewed attention on regional representation within the government. The nine-member ministry includes seven ministers from the Kashmir Valley and two from the Jammu region. The exit of Sharma has also left several Jammu-area districts without cabinet representation, according to the reported distribution.
Meanwhile, the exclusion of senior National Conference leaders Mubarak Gul, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi and Abdul Majeed Larmi from the expanded ministry has reportedly triggered discontent within sections of the ruling party.
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