Goyal To Lead Consumer Affairs Ministry After Paswan's Death

On Friday, Piyush Goyal, who is currently in charge of Railway Ministry and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, was given the additional charge of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry which was taken care by late Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan.

A communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Friday that President Ram Nath Kovind, on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, directed that Goyal be assigned the ministry in addition to his existing portfolios.

Paswan, one of India's most prominent Dalit leaders and eight-time Lok Sabha MP died on Thursday at the age of 74. He was part of several BJP-led NDA and Congress-led UPA governments.

A number of leaders, including PM Modi and Goyal, paid tributes to Paswan at his Delhi home.

Paswan, who hails from Bihar, will be cremated in Patna on Saturday. Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will represent the central government and the union council of ministers at the funeral.