President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday accepted the resignation of union minister Harish Rawat, who has been named Uttarakhand's new chief minister.

 

 Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been given additional charge of the water resources ministry, which was held by Rawat, a Rashtrapati Bhavan press communique said.

 

 The president, on the advice of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accepted Rawat's resignation from the union council of ministers with immediate effect.

 

 "Further, as advised by the prime minister, the president directed that Ghulam Nabi Azad, minister for health and family welfare, shall be given additional charge of the work of the ministry of water resources," the communique said.