Jaipur, Nov 24 (PTI) Newly inducted cabinet minister Vishvendra Singh on Wednesday took charge as tourism minister in secretariat. Singh, who was sacked along with the then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and another minister Ramesh Meena last year for rebellion against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, had religious rituals performed through a priest before sitting on the chair. After taking over, he spoke about making Rajasthan a more tourist-friendly state. Recalling his earlier tenure, the tourism minister said many innovations started by him helped develop the tourism sector of the state. “They would be carried forward and new tourism circuits will also be developed to promote tourism,” he said. To this end, a review meeting of the tourism department and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) will be held and a strategy will be developed, he said. Besides Singh, public health and engineering department (PHED) minister Mahesh Joshi, and health minister Parsadi Lal Meena also took charge. Fifteen ministers -including three who were elevated from Minister of State to cabinet rank -- were sworn in on Sunday for the expanded Gehlot cabinet, fulfilling a key demand made by Pilot, whose rebellion last year shook the state Congress government. The new inductees were allotted portfolios on Monday. PTI SDA VN VN