Dehradun, March 20 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inducted five new ministers in the state cabinet on Friday, taking the total figure to 12. The legislators who will now serve as ministers in Dhami’s cabinet are Bharat Singh Chaudhary (Rudraprayag), Khajan Dass (Dehradun), Mandan Kaushik (Haridwar), Pradeep Batra (Roorkee) and Ram Singh Kaira (Bhimtal).

Madan Kaushik is a member of the BJP National Executive Council and was the Uttarakhand BJP president.

Khajan Dass, a former minister in the erstwhile Uttarakhand government, also served as the state BJP vice-president earlier.

The remaining three — Ram Singh Kaira, Bharat Singh Chaudhary and Pradeep Batra are reportedly first-time ministers.

The oath of office was administered by Uttarakhand Governor Gurmit Singh at Lok Bhavan at 10 a.m.

With the induction of five new ministers, the Uttarakhand cabinet has attained its maximum strength of 12, officials said.

Uttarakhand CM also took to his social media handle, X, to personally greet each minister and extend good wishes for the fulfilment of their responsibility in their new role.

Congratulating Madan Kaushik, CM Dhami wrote, “Heartfelt congratulations on taking the oath as a Cabinet Minister. Your extensive political experience and organisational capabilities will infuse the government’s developmental initiatives with new energy and direction.”

Greeting Khajan Dass, the legislator from Rajpur Road (Dehradun), CM Dhami said, “Your sharpness in public relations and seriousness on issues related to public welfare will certainly lend greater breadth to the impact of the government’s public welfare schemes.”

The Chief Minister extended greetings to three other ministers, praising their achievements and valuable contributions in public life.

He said that Bharat Singh Chaudhary, with his deep understanding of the needs of the hilly regions and dedication to public service, will strengthen the balanced and inclusive development of the state.

“Your experience, active leadership, and dedication to public service, development works in the state will gain even greater strength,” CM Dhami said about Pradeep Batra, the legislator from Roorkee.

He also welcomed Bhimtal MLA Ram Singh Kaira into the cabinet, voicing confidence that his service will impart new momentum and direction to various developmental initiatives of the state.

“Infinite best wishes for a bright future and the successful fulfilment of this new responsibility,” CM Dhami wrote in a post on X.

Notably, the cabinet expansion was under consideration for a long time but kept getting delayed. Now, with the state government expanding its capacity to full, this is seen as a move to prepare the party for the upcoming Assembly elections in 2027, in its bid to secure a third consecutive term.

–IANS

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