The portfolios and subjects handled by 10 Ministers in the State Cabinet have been changed. A press release from the Raj Bhavan said Governor R.N. Ravi had approved the changes based on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s recommendation.
I. Periyasamy, Minister for Co-operation, has been made Minister for Rural Development. The portfolio was earlier held by K.R. Periyakaruppan, who has been re-designated as Minister for Co-operation.
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekarbabu has been given an additional charge of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). The subject was earlier handled by K. Muthusamy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development.
K. Ramachandran, Minister for Forests, has been re-designated as Minister for Tourism, while the forest portfolio has gone to M. Mathiventhan, who earlier functioned as the Minister for Tourism.
R.S. Rajakannappan, Minister for Backward Classes Welfare, will handle additional subjects such as the Khadi and Village Industries Board. They were earlier handled by R. Gandhi, Minister for Handloom and Textiles.
As the subjects of Youth Welfare and Sports Development have been allotted to Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, Siva V. Meyyanathan, who handled them earlier, has been re-designated as Minister for Environment and Climate Change.
Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management, has been given the additional subjects of pensions, pensionary benefits and statistics.
First reshuffle in March 2022
The Cabinet that assumed office in May 2021 was first reshuffled in March 2022 when the portfolios of two Ministers were swapped, after the then Transport Minister Rajakannappan was accused of using casteist slur at a government staff in his constituency - Mudukulathur in Ramanathapuram district.
In a video that went viral, a Block Development Officer from Mudukulathur complained that the Minister chided him by referring to his caste name.
Subsequently, S.S. Sivasankar, who held the portfolio of Backward Classes Welfare was appointed as the Transport Minister and Rajakannappan was made the Minister for Backward Classes Welfare.
