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Rabri inducts 5 more ministers

Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi today expanded her Council of Ministers by inducting five new members.

With this, the strength of her Cabinet has gone up to 81.

Governor B M Lal administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a simple function at the Patna Raj Bhawan.

The chief minister, assembly Speaker Dev Narayan Yadav, erstwhile Samata Party (Patel) leader Shivanand Tiwari and several other members of the Rabri Devi Cabinet were present on the occasion.

Of the five newly inducted ministers, two are of Cabinet rank while the other three are ministers of state.

With today's expansion, the total number of Cabinet ministers has risen to 43 and ministers of state to 38.

Two SP-P politicians Krishan Patel and Rakesh Kumar were inducted as Cabinet ministers. Patel is a member of the assembly, while Kumar is not a member of either House of the legislature.

The SP-P merged with the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal yesterday.

RJD legislator Shyam Bihari Prasad took oath as minister of state. Surendra Ram and Avdhesh Singh, who were to take oath on March 10 after the revocation of President's rule, were also sworn in as ministers of state.

This was the first expansion of Rabri Devi's Cabinet after her reinstatement on March 9.

UNI

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