Moscow, Mar 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has given a minister's job to a man who subscribed to the leader's newly registered account on photo sharing service Instagram, an official said.

Arbi Tamayev has been appointed minister for cooperation between the republic's government and civil society.

The new post in the cabinet of ministers was created this week, a government spokesman said.

"Arbi Tamayev actively reacted to my request to gather Instagram users, took initiative and was persistent," Kadyrov wrote on his Instagram page.

He said Tamayev will have to show "these qualities" when performing ministerial duties.

"As you see, everything started with one phone number, and now it has grown into a whole ministry," Kadyrov said.

The Chechen leader said the new ministry has been tasked with uncovering problems and informing other government structures about them.

It will also hold a dialogue with citizens about the republic's economic, social and cultural development.

Earlier, Kadyrov issued an order to bring together all Instagram users who criticised his government.

He said he was open to discussion with them and offered to pay their travel expenses related to the meeting.

Kadyrov became an internet celebrity in February, after the Chechen government's press service said he opened an official account on Instagram, uploading several images a day.

The account, called kadyrov_95, presently has a total of 261 images and 74,270 subscribers.

The first image was uploaded Nov 30, 2012. The press service said in February that Kadyrov "regularly comments on his followers' posts".

In June 2012, Kadyrov opened a Twitter account, @RKadyrov, which has more than 25,000 followers.