The much anticipated cabinet reshuffle saw the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh going in for performance and sending a strong message to its southern ally, DMK.The Prime Minister dropped seven ministers, inducted V. Kishore Chandra Deo and seven other new faces. Three others including Jairam Ramesh, from whom Environment and Forests has been taken away, were elevated to the cabinet rank.
Though Mr Jairam Ramesh was elevated to the cabinet rank with the responsibility of rural development, the move is being viewed as the government's attempt to shift a minister, riddled with controversies.
Mr Ramesh, has been replaced by Mrs Jayanti Natarajan, who is now expected to have fresh look at the ministry and the controversies surrounding it.
Rahul Gandhi's shadow also loomed large on the reshuffle with the induction of young politicians Jitendra Singh and Milind Deora as ministers of state.
As widely anticipated, the law minister, Mr Veerappa Moily, was replaced by Mr Salman Khursheed. With forthcoming assembly elections in UP, the government also tried to send a signal by promoting Mr Beni Prasad Verma.
The Trinamool minister of state for health, Mr Dinesh Trivedi has now been upgraded to the cabinet rank and would now be heading one of the most controversial ministries, Railways.
During the last two years, the railways have continued to hit the headlines for its absentee minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, who was busy consolidating her base in West Bengal.
Even on Sunday, after two major rail accidents, the minister of state for railways, Mr Mukul Roy, instead of visiting the accident sites, accompanied Ms Banerjee, now West Bengal chief minister to a rally at Midnapore in the state.
All eyes will now be on Mr Dinesh Trivedi, who is expected to put the ministry and its safety policy back on track.
By going ahead with the reshuffle, despite the reluctance and later refusal of the DMK to participate in it, the Congress and the Prime Minister have sent a strong signal that there would be no compromise on corruption issues. While the textile ministry, which was under Dayanidhi Maran (recently asked to resign following his alleged involvement in the spectrum scam) was added to the commerce minister, Mr Anand Sharma's kitty, HRD minister, Mr Kapil Sibal continues to man the sensitive telecommunication ministry, earlier held by DMK's A. Raja, who is now lodged in Tihar jail.
DMK's July 23 meeting at Coimabatoire now assumes significance, since it will take a hard look at its relationship Coimabatoire now assumes significance, since it would take a hard look at its relationship with Congress.
Ministers whose resignation was sought by the Prime Minister include, Dayanidhi Maran, Murli Deora, B.K. Handique, Dr. M.S. Gill, Kanti Lal Bhuria, A. Sai Prathap and Arun S. Yadav. President Pratibha Patil has accepted their resignations.
CABINET MINISTERS:
1. Shri V. Kishore Chandra Deo
2. Shri Beni Prasad Verma
3. Shri Dinesh Trivedi
4. Shri Jairam Ramesh
MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE):
5. Shri Srikant Jena
6. Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan
7. Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar
8. Shri Gurudas Kamat
MINISTERS OF STATE:
9. Shri Sudip Bandopadhyaya
10. Shri Charan Das Mahant
11. Shri Jitendra Singh
12. Shri Milind Deora
13. Shri Rajiv Shukla
The Prime Minister has recommended the portfolios of the newly appointed Ministers may be as below:
CABINET MINISTERS:
Shri V. Kishore Chandra Deo : Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj
Shri Beni Prasad Verma : Steel
Shri Dinesh Trivedi : Railways
Shri Jairam Ramesh : Rural Development
MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE):
Shri Srikant Jena : Statistics and Programme Implementation and Minister of State in the Ministry of
Chemicals and Fertilisers
Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan : Environment and Forests
Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar : Development of North Eastern Region
Shri Gurudas Kamat : Drinking Water and Sanitation
MINISTERS OF STATE:
Shri Sudip Bandopadhyaya : Health and Family Welfare
Shri Charan Das Mahant : Agriculture and Food Processing Industries
Shri Jitendra Singh : Home Affairs
Shri Milind Deora : Communications and Information Technology
Shri Rajiv Shukla : Parliamentary Affairs
The Prime Minister has further recommended that the portfolios of the following Ministers may be changed as indicated below:
CABINET MINISTERS:
Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh : Science and Technology and Earth Sciences
Shri M. Veerappa Moily : Corporate Affairs
Shri Anand Sharma : Commerce and Industry; and additional charge of Textiles
Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal : Parliamentary Affairs and additional charge of Water Resources
Shri Salman Khursheed : Law and Justice and additional charge of Minority Affairs
MINISTERS OF STATE:
Shri E. Ahamed : External Affairs and Human Resource Development
Shri V.Narayanasamy : Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; and Prime Minister’s Office
Shri Harish Rawat : Agriculture and Food Processing Industries; and Parliamentary Affairs
Shri Mukul Roy : Shipping
Shri Ashwani Kumar : Planning; Science and Technology and Earth Sciences
The Prime Minister has fowarded the resignation letters of the following Ministers in the Union Council of Ministers with the recommendation that they may be accepted.
Dayanidhi Maran, Murli Deora, B.K. Handique, Dr. M.S. Gill, Kanti Lal Bhuria, A. Sai Prathap and Arun S. Yadav
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