Manohar Lal Khattar Takes Charge as Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister

Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been appointed as the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister in the newly formed Modi government. He replaces Hardeep Singh Puri, who has taken over the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The ministry is responsible for key projects such as PM Awas Yojna and the Central Vista redevelopment.

Manohar Lal Khattar, the former Chief Minister of Haryana, officially assumed his new role as the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister in the latest Modi cabinet on Tuesday. Khattar, 70, succeeds Hardeep Singh Puri, who has now been assigned the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Puri held the same position during the second tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.

The ceremony marking the transition was attended by Puri, and Khattar subsequently met with officials from his new ministry. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is tasked with implementing crucial initiatives like the PM Awas Yojna, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), and the ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project.

Crucially, the redevelopment of Central Vista, an important corridor, includes the construction of a new Parliament building, a central secretariat, renovations along Rajpath, and new residences for the Prime Minister and Vice President. Having been inducted into the Union Cabinet on Sunday, BJP veteran Khattar is now set to embark on his new responsibilities as a Union Minister.