Srinagar, Oct 27 (NVI): Four National Conference legislators — Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shameema Firdous, Mir Saifullah and Altaf Ahmad Kalloo — were inducted into the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers on Tuesday, in the first expansion of the two-year-old Omar Abdullah-led government.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the four ministers at a ceremony held at Lok Bhawan in Srinagar.
Meanwhile, senior National Conference leader Mubarak Gul expressed disappointment over being left out of the Cabinet expansion, saying he had attended around 30 oath-taking ceremonies but had been dropped on every occasion.
“I have attended 30 oath-taking ceremonies till now. Every time I was dropped, and today as well, I am being dropped,” Gul told reporters outside Lok Bhawan.
Newly inducted minister Shameema Firdous expressed happiness over the opportunity given to her by the party and said she would continue to work harder.
Mir Saifullah, before his induction, thanked the National Conference leadership led by party president Farooq Abdullah and the Almighty for the opportunity.
The Cabinet expansion marks the first reshuffle of the Council of Ministers since Omar Abdullah assumed office as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.—(NVI)
