After blaming “vested interests” for his shifting from the Law Ministry, new Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily on Wednesday said he is “very happy” with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi for entrusting him with the new job.
“I am very happy with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. If they have given me this charge they might have had something in mind. They know that I am a reformist and wherever I go, I have a reform agenda,”Mr. Moily told reporters after assuming charge, playing down his earlier remarks.
On Tuesday, only hours after the Cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Moily had suggested “campaign by vested interests” behind his change in the portfolio. He had also said that he could not be “hanged” for the “sins” of other ministries.
“Yesterday was yesterday. Today I am here, in this Ministry and I look forward to future,” the Corporate Affairs Minister said.
Asked what would be his utmost priority as the new MCA Minister, Mr. Moily said it would be to pass the pending Companies Bill 2009.
“In the monsoon session. That will be the topmost agenda. Even as the Law Minister I had studied the Bill and it is one of the best Bills. We will meet the monsoon session deadline and we will make sure that it comes up before the Cabinet immediately,” he said.
The Companies Bill which was reintroduced in Parliament in August 2009 has already missed two earlier deadlines for consideration and passage.
