M A I N   N E W S

Hooda shuffles his Cabinet 
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune news Service

However, Yadav and Mahender Partap Singh, both seen as members of the dissident camp, have been “down-graded” in the allocation of Departments while Haryana-Janhit-Congress-turned-Congressman Satpal Sanghwan has got a “better deal”. The fortunes of most ministers, however, continue to remain unchanged.

Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia, on the advice of Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today, re-allocated the departments to the members of Council of Ministers.

From being the state’s Cooperation Minister, Chatha has moved on to being the state’s Finance Minister who will also hold the portfolio of Irrigation and Food and Supply, considered “weighty” departments. This will be in addition to Planning, Institutional Finance and Credit Control.

Capt Yadav now gets Power, Forest and Environment, losing the two big departments of Finance and Irrigation. Chatha’s induction into the Cabinet and his elevation as senior-most Cabinet Minister had left Yadav upset. This portfolio change is likely to further “strain” relations within the Congress.

Though Industries minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, hasn’t lost anything in this reshuffle, he has gained nothing too. Having earned the reputation of being the government’s official crisis manager whenever the government has landed itself in a sticky situation, the reward for his “services” seems to elude him in every reshuffle.

Losing the portfolio of Power to Yadav, Mahender Pratap Singh will now handle the departments of Revenue and Disaster management, consolidation, Rehabilitation, Technical Education and Renewable Energy. He, as it works out, has lost the most in this reshuffle.

Agriculture Minister Paramvir Singh gets Mines and Geology, in addition to the portfolios he already holds. Kiran Chaudhary continues with the two all-important Departments of Public Health and Excise and Taxation, while Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal will continue to hold the charge of Social Justice and Empowerment, Women and Child Development, Archeology and Museums, Archives. Health Minister Rao Narender has additionally got charge of Election, while Satpal Sangwan will be the new Cooperation and Housing Minister.

The three Ministers of State, Shiv Charan Lal Sharma, Gopal Kanda and Sukhbir Kataria, will continue with the independent charge given to them in the last reshuffle effected in January this year. Their portfolios remain unchanged. 

The changes