There seems to be no end to re-allocation of portfolios even after Sunday’s major Cabinet reshuffle with S. Jagathrakshakan of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Friday being given the portfolio of Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
The shifting of Mr. Jagathrakshakan comes five days after he was moved to New and Renewable Energy on Sunday from Information and Broadcasting.
He had kept away from the new charge of New and Renewable Energy in the last four days.
D. Purandeshwari is the other new Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
On October 29, immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, the Rashtrapati Bhavan communique had listed Jitin Prasada as Minister of State for Defence and Human Resource Development.
But by night, he was stripped of his charge in the Defence Ministry and made just Minister of State for Human Resource Development.
Confusion too
Though there was no official reason for this change, sources attributed it to confusion over the name with Jitendra Singh, another MP from Alwar in Rajasthan, considered close to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, also being deployed in the Defence Ministry.
Mr. Jitendra Singh now has the distinction of being Minister of State with independent charge of Sports and Youth Affairs along with Minister of State status in the Defence Ministry.
In between there was another change with Lalchand Kataria, a first time MP from Rajasthan, who was sulking over allocation of subjects as Minister of State in the Defence Ministry, was accommodated in the Rural Development Ministry on Tuesday. This came after he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought a change.
‘DMK had sought meatier post’
Special Correspondent adds from Chennai:
DMK sources in Chennai said the party had sought a ‘meatier’ portfolio for Mr. Jagathrakshakan. “When there isn’t much to be done by the Cabinet Minister himself in Renewable Energy, what work will the MoS have in the Ministry?” the sources asked in a lighter vein.
