Agatha Sangma gets rural development, Ambika is I&B minister

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) The youngest minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet, Agatha Sangma, 28, has been named minister of state for rural development. She is among the nine women ministers in the United Progressive Alliance government.

Ambika Soni, who was earlier cabinet minister of tourism and culture, has been made minister of information and broadcasting.

Meira Kumar, who was earlier social justice and empowerment minister, is now water resources minister.

Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress was allocated the railway portfolio Saturday.

Kumari Selja, who was minister of state (MoS) for housing and urban poverty alleviation with independent charge, is now holding her earlier portfolio in addition to the tourism ministry. She is the Congress MP from Ambala.

Congress MP Krishna Tirath (Delhi), a first time minister, has been given the women and child development ministry.

Panabaka Lakshmi of the Congress, who was earlier MoS for health and family welfare, is now the MoS textiles.

Preneet Kaur, Congress MP from Patiala, Punjab, the wife of former Punjab chief minister Amrinder Singh, is the MoS external affairs. She is a first time minister.

D. Purandeswari, Congress MP, retains her human resource development portfolio.

There were 10 women in the previous Manmohan Singh-led government.

Agatha Sangma is the Nationalist Congress Party MP from Tura, Meghalaya.