NEW DELHI: Days after the resignations of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain from the Delhi Cabinet, AAP MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday were sworn in as ministers by Lt Governor V K Saxena.
Atishi will handle education, PWD, power and tourism departments, art culture and language, Women and Child Development, while Bharadwaj will look after health, urban development, water and industries and Irrigation and Flood Control.
Extending his wishes, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Many congratulations and best wishes to Atishi and Saurabh on assuming the new responsibilities. You both have to take forward the good work of Manish and Satyendra. People have high expectations from both of you.”
Atishi and Bharadwaj will be attending the Delhi Assembly’s Budget Session commencing from March 17 as ministers after their swearing in on March 9, party sources said. After taking oath Atishi said, “The Centre has put two senior ministers of the Delhi government in jail in false cases. We will take care of their responsibilities till they get released.”
Bharadwaj said, “Big flagship programs are going on in the health-education and water departments under the government. We will try to do as much work as possible in this.” Bharadwaj added that the Centre has been trying to stop the work in Delhi.
“The Centre wanted to stop the work done in Delhi and we will not let that happen. We are thankful to the CM for having faith in me and Atishi,” Bharadwaj added. Following the resignations of Sisodia and Jain, both currently in Tihar jail in alleged corruption and money laundering cases, respectively, two Cabinet berths had fallen vacant.