Atishi retains 13 portfolios, pending works to get major push

Atishi, after taking oath as the chief minister of Delhi on Saturday, chose to maintain the status quo in her portfolio allocation — retaining all 13 departments that were allocated to her as a minister in the Arvind Kejriwal Cabinet.
Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot, Gopal Rai and Imran Hussain were reallocated portfolios they were previously handling to ensure continuity, AAP leaders said. Meanwhile, the new entrant into the Cabinet, Mukesh Ahlawat, was allocated SC & ST department, Gurudwara elections, land and building, and labour and employment — essentially taking over the portfolios handled by ex-minister Raaj Kumar Anand, before his exit from the party.
“In these four months, under the guidance of Arvind Kejriwal, all the work of Delhiites will be done… which was stopped by BJP through its conspiracies. Arvind Kejriwal is now out of jail and will not let any conspiracy of BJP succeed,” CM Atishi said in a press conference on Saturday evening.
An official said that under Rule 3 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Allocation of Business) Rules 1993, the lieutenant governor, in consultation with the chief minister, allocates the portfolios to ministers. The portfolios will be officially allocated as per the CM’s proposal after a notification is issued by the general administration department of the Delhi government, following the LG’s nod.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, who is now a third-time minister, has been allocated eight portfolios: urban development, irrigation and flood control, health, industries, art, culture and language, and tourism, all of which he previously handled, besides newer allocations of social welfare and cooperative.
Kailash Gahlot, who has been a minister in the Delhi government since 2017, retained all the departments he handled in the Kejriwal Cabinet — transport, administrative reforms, information and technology, home, and women and child development.
Gopal Rai, who has been a minister in Delhi since 2015, also retained all the departments that he handled in the Kejriwal Cabinet — development, general administration department, environment forest and wildlife.
Minister Imran Hussain will continue to handle food & supply and elections, which he previously retained.
Spotlight on pending works
A major part of the focus of the new government will be on the departments under Gahlot, given that the women and child development department has to roll out a scheme, under which ₹1,000 per month financial assistance is to be provided to women of Delhi who meet the economic criteria. This scheme occupies the top priority of the new AAP government, given it seeks to retain Delhi’s support in the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections.
The financial assistance scheme was unveiled in the 2024-25 annual budget, but its progress was halted due to Kejriwal’s arrest and the political turmoil that gripped the AAP administration. The draft of the scheme has already been prepared by the department.
Sharing the spotlight will be the environment department, due to the proximity of winter, when Delhi suffers an inevitable dip in air quality prompting criticism from the Opposition over the government’s alleged failure to check pollution.
Similarly, the Delhi government’s electric vehicle (EV) policy expired in July, and the new EV policy has to be cleared by the Cabinet. The ambitious doorstep delivery of services scheme of the government is currently not operational because its term expired in March, and like others, it needs the approval of the Cabinet for relaunch. Several policies, such as start-up policy and food truck policy, are also pending, officials said. Redevelopment of markets, plans to promote business and commerce by holding shopping festivals and a planned infrastructure revamp of the city, are among pending projects.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the Atishi government should fulfil the promises made to the public and give relief to the public, by reducing electricity and water bills, waiving property tax in rural Delhi and implementing the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health scheme.
“Delhi has been a victim of bad governance for a long time, and now people expect some relief. Atishi will now have to take big steps to fulfil the promises made to the public. With a positive thinking, BJP is hoping to give relief to the public after the formation of the new government. The people of Delhi should get immediate relief from the problem of electricity rates and water at this time,” Bidhuri said.