Kailash Gahlot, Raaj Kumar Anand get Sisodia, Jain's portfolios till appointment of new ministers

Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot has been given the additional charge of finance and power while Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand will be handling education and health departments till new ministers are appointed in the Cabinet, officials said on Tuesday.

The announcement was made after Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia, who have been arrested in corruption cases, tendered their resignations to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who accepted both.

"Till the time new ministers are appointed, the allotment of additional portfolios for the interim period will see Gahlot taking care of finance, planning, public works department, power, home, urban development, irrigation and flood control, and water along with his existing departments," an official said, as per PTI.

Raaj Kumar Anand will be taking care of education, land and building, vigilance, services, tourism, art culture and language, labour, employment, health and industries in addition to his existing portfolios.

Hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accepted the resignation of Sisodia and Jain on Tuesday, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said two new ministers will be appointed "very soon".

Satyendra Jain, who has been currently in jail for nine months in a money laundering case, held about eight departments - Home, Health, Power, Water, Industries, Urban Development, Irrigation, and Flood Control. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 31, 2022.

Sisodia held 18 portfolios including Finance and Excise Department, which looks after the liquor policy in the city. He was arrested on Sunday by the CBI, which is probing the corruption in the liquor policy which was rolled out by the AAP government under Sisodia's watch.    

The resignations came after the Supreme Court refused to entertain the bail plea of Sisodia, saying it would set a "wrong precedent" and efficacious alternative remedies are available to him.

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