Uttarakhand's Cabinet Grows: Who Are the New Ministers Joining CM Dhami?

Cabinet Expansion in Uttarakhand

Dehradun: On Friday, Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced an expansion of his cabinet, with five MLAs taking their oaths as ministers at Lok Bhavan.

The new ministers—Khazan Das, Bharat Singh Chaudhary, Madan Kaushik, Pradeep Batra, and Ram Singh Kaida—bring the cabinet to its full capacity of 12 members, according to officials.

The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd.) during a ceremony at Lok Bhawan.

Khajan Das serves the Rajpur Road constituency in Dehradun, while Bharat Singh Chaudhary represents Rudraprayag, Madan Kaushik is from Haridwar, Pradeep Batra hails from Roorkee, and Ram Singh Kaira represents Bhimtal.

Chaudhary, Batra, and Kaira are stepping into ministerial roles for the first time, whereas Das and Kaushik have prior cabinet experience.

This cabinet expansion aims to balance representation between the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, as well as to include voices from both the plains and hill areas, a strategic move ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections.

In his remarks, the Chief Minister congratulated the new ministers and emphasized the importance of teamwork in advancing the state's development and serving the public.

He stated, "Our goal is to ensure that development benefits reach every individual, even those in the most remote areas, providing them with opportunities for growth. We will work together with a commitment to serve the people of Uttarakhand."

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Dhami, his cabinet members, and various dignitaries.