M A I N   N E W S

Hooda expands Ministry
Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

Mr H.S. Chatha hugs Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda after being inducted into the Cabinet in Chandigarh on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Chandigarh, January 14
After keeping the MLAs waiting for 309 days, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today expanded his nine-member Cabinet with the induction of one Cabinet Minister and three Ministers of State, who were administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, at a function organised at Raj Bhavan here.

One Chief Parliamentary Secretary and seven Parliamentary Secretaries were also sworn in at a separate function held at Haryana Nivas. They were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Mr Hooda.

Now the strength of the Cabinet has gone up to 13, with still one vacancy, in terms of the 91st Constitutional Amendment, limiting the size of the Ministries.

Mr Hooda took the opportunity to reshuffle the portfolios of some of his colleagues.

Unlike the two occasions on March 5 and 10 last year, when chaos marked the functions at which Mr Hooda and his 10 colleagues were sworn in, respectively, today’s function was orderly, perhaps symbolising the way the Hooda Government is tightening its grip on the administration. The organisers were also helped by the fact that most of the aspirants were sounded by the Chief Minister late in the night, giving them little time to mobilise their supporters for the swearing-in ceremony. The turnout was obviously less than on the two previous occasions.

The former Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, Mr H.S. Chatha, was administered the oath as Cabinet Minister. Mrs Kiran Choudhary, Mrs Savitri Jindal and Mrs Meena Rani were sworn in as Ministers of State with independent charge of their portfolios.

Mrs Choudhary and Mrs Jindal, who are MLAs from Tosham and Hisar, respectively, have, in fact, taken the places of their husbands, Mr Surender Singh and Mr O.P. Jindal, who were killed in a tragic chopper crash on March 31 last.

Mr Chatha and Mrs Meena Rani represent Peohwa and Jundla, respectively, in the Assembly. While Mr Chatha and Mrs Choudhary took the oath in English, the other two preferred Hindi.

Mr Dharambir, MLA from Badhra in Bhiwani district, was sworn in as the Chief Parliamentary Secretary. Mr Dillu Ram (Guhla), Mr Dan Singh (Mahendragarh), Dr (Mrs) Krishna Pandit (Yamunanagar), Mr Param Vir Singh (Tohana), Ms Sharda Rathore (Ballabgarh), Mr Ram Kishan (Naraingarh) and Mr Anil Thakar (Sonepat) took the oath as Parliamentary Secretaries.

Mr Chatha will look after the Agriculture Department. Mrs Choudhary has been assigned the portfolios of Forests, Tourism and Cultural Affairs. It is not known how she will look after the Cultural Affairs Department, which was recently merged with the Public Relations Department. The latter is with the Chief Minister, with Mr Dharambir, the newly inducted Chief Parliamentary Secretary, attached to him for this department.

Mrs Jindal has been made in charge of the Urban Development and Housing Departments. Mrs Meena Rani will handle the Archaeology and Museums and Archives Departments independently, while she will be attached to the Chief Minister as far as the Department of Cooperation is concerned.

The Excise and Taxation and Forest Departments have been taken from Mr Venod Sharma, who has now been given the Power, Public Works (Buildings and Roads) and Environment Departments. It seems that Mr Hooda wants to use Mr Sharma’s acumen in the power sector, which is posing one of the biggest challenges before the government. Under Mr Sharma revenue had shown an increase of about 17 per cent at last year’s liquor auctions, which was a record of sorts. Taxation revenue has also shown an accumulative increase of over 16 per cent this year.

The Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana, gets an additional department, Sports and Youth Affairs, but has lost the Industrial Training and Vocational Education Department, which goes to the Industries Minister, Mr Lachhman Dass Arora. Mr Arora had to shed the Urban Development Department in favour of Mrs Jindal.

The CPS, Mr Dharambir, will be attached to the Chief Minister in the Departments of Development and Panchayats and Public Relations.

Mr Dillu Ram will be attached to the Chief Minister in the Departments of Technical Education and Architecture.

Mr Dan Singh will be attached to the Minister of Transport.

Dr Pandit will be attached to the Health Minister.

Mr Param Vir Singh will assist the Public Works (B & R) Minister.

Ms Rathore will be attached to the Labour and Employment Minister. Mr Ram Kishan will assist the Agriculture Minister. Mr Thakar will assist the Revenue Minister.