New Delhi, January 19
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s first meeting with his junior ministers today ran true to form. As predicted, the aggrieved ministers of state complained that they were not being given sufficient work by their seniors and sought greater involvement in discussions on policy matters.

After the hour-long meeting, the Prime Minister assured them that all efforts would be made to address their grievances. On his part, he wanted the young ministers, who are known to be tech-savvy, to use this knowledge for the technological up-gradation of their ministries to improve functioning. Keen to tap their youth and energy, he urged them to publicise the achievements of the ruling combine, particularly its flagship programmes, to reach this message to the masses.

Among those, who took the floor at the hour-long meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence, included Ministers of State for Commerce Jyotiraditya Sinha, Junior Education Minister Purandeshwari, Chemicals and fertilisers Minister Srikant Jena and Railways Minister KH Muniyappa from the Congress.

From among the allies, Railways Minister E. Ahamed of the Indian Union Muslim League and Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Ray, Minister for Urban Development, lodged a protest while the DMK remained silent. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) Minister, who professed to be speaking on behalf of all his colleagues and was most vociferous about being neglected, looked quite sheepish when his protest was endorsed by E. Ahamed, whose Senior Minister is none other than the TMC chief Mamata Bannerjee. “I wholeheartedly agree with what Saugata Ray has said,” Ahamed said. Mamta Bannerjee has been spending more time in her home state West Bengal, while files in her ministry keep piling up.

Seeking greater empowerment for junior ministers, Scindia said they should be “kept in the loop” during discussions on key policies, while Prateek Patil said though he had been inducted into the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry because he is a youth, he had absolutely no knowledge about this department. Jena suggested that some guidelines be laid down to define a junior minister’s work, so that this problem does not arise in future.