J&K council of ministers expanded

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expanded his council of ministers on Tuesday with the induction of three Cabinet ministers and seven Ministers of State.

With this, the total strength of the council of ministers stands at 23.

State Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at the Raj Bhavan in state capital Srinagar.

Those who were sworn in as Cabinet ministers include People's Democratic Party legislator Mohammad Dilawar Mir and Jugal Kishore of the Congress party.

Gulchain Singh Charak (Congress) was alleviated to the Cabinet rank.

Those sworn in as ministers of state include Congress leaders Dr Ramesh Chandra Sharma, Aijaz Ahmad Khan and Prem Sagar Aziz, besides PDP leaders Javed Mustaffa Mir, Sardar Manjit Singh, Peer Mohammad Hussain and Mohammad Khalil Bandh.