Amid resentment over portfolio allocation,Yediyurappa carries out second rejig within 24 hours
Bengaluru: A day after allocation of portfolios, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday carried out another rejig, reflecting the fissures in his 17-month-old government over the exercise.
According to the notification issued by the government with the consent of Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday,Medical Education Minister J C Madhuswamy has been relieved of Kannada and Culture and given additional charge of Hajj and Wakf, which was given to K C Narayana Gowda on Thursday. Aravind Limbavali will now handle the Kannada and Culture Department besides the Forest portfolio.
According to the notification, MLC N Nagaraja (M T B Nagaraj), who was yesterday given Excise, was divested of the portfolio and given municipal administration, sugarcane development from the industries and commerce department.
The Chief Minister allotted the Excise portfolio to K Gopalaiah.The horticulture department he was allocated on Thursday, has been given to MLC R Shankar who was divested of municipal administration.
Yediyurappa divested one of his portfolios of planning, programme monitoring and statistics department to K C Narayana Gowda who is also holding the portfolio of Youth Empowerment and Sports. Despite another rejig within 24 hours, resentment continued.
Sources close to Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said he was upset over the Medical Education portfolio being taken away from him.
Speaking to reporters, Sudhakar said he would discuss with the Chief Minister regarding the reshuffle.
"Earlier it was difficult to manage the pandemic because Health and Medical Education departments were handled by two different ministers.COVID-19 was brought under control after merging both Health and Medical Education departments," the minister said.
He said the cabinet reshuffle should have been done keeping in view the vaccination drive.
BJP sources claimed that Madhuswamy continued to remain upset with the reshuffle after being relieved of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, which was a major portfolio for him.
A week after expanding his cabinet, Yediyurappa on Thursday allocated portfolios to seven new ministers and also reshuffled the departments of some others.
The exercise, however, did not go down well with a section of his ministerial colleagues as they were reportedly upset over the departments allocated to them and some did not attend the cabinet meeting held after the reshuffle.
Yediyurappa, however, sought to brush off the resentment, saying some kind of displeasure was anticipated.
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DMK poll manifesto is game-changing plan for TN, says Stalin
Chennai (PTI): DMK chief M K Stalin on Monday said his party manifesto for the April 23 Assembly election was a "game-changing" plan for Tamil Nadu as it underscored the steps towards progress.
The monetary support announced in the poll manifesto, he said, was a "smart economic multiplier" that would uplift the local economy, support small businesses, upskill people, and upgrade long-term outcomes.
"Development and welfare move together proving you can build infrastructure, grow the economy, and uplift people simultaneously. From one-size-fits-all to choice-based governance," the Tamil Nadu chief minister said, and added "people decide what works for them."
The manifesto focused on creating assets, improving productivity, generating economic activity, and delivering measurable long-term returns, he said in a post on 'X'.
"This is a next-phase document. It builds on what has already been delivered and scales it with smarter design, deeper impact, and wider reach," Stalin said.
The six steps towards progress outlined in the manifesto included development for women, family, youth, farmers, housing and infrastructure and governance, he said.
He highlighted the DMK poll promises of increasing the monthly grant under 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai' (women entitlement) to Rs 2,000, from the present Rs 1,000, and adding new eligible women every year, expanding the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme till 8th Standard, providing coupon worth Rs 8,000 under the 'Illatharasi' (homemaker) scheme to buy new / replace household electronic appliances for their family, enhancing the medical treatment coverage to Rs 10 lakh, and increasing pension sum to Rs 2,000 per month for senior citizens, widows and spinsters above the age of 50.
Skill training for 5 lakh youth who have completed higher education, fetching foreign investment of Rs 18 lakh crore and creating 50 lakh jobs over 5 years, hiking the higher education monthly grant for college students to Rs 1,500 from the present Rs 1,000, providing 35 lakh free laptops to all college students, providing free modern electric pump sets without any meters to over 20 lakh farmers receiving free electricity, and providing 10 lakh new concrete houses under 'Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam' and various other housing schemes towards a hut-free Tamil Nadu by 2030, were among the other assurances.
On governance, he said the people's aspirations registered under the 'Unga Kanava Sollunga' (Tell us your dreams) initiative will be fulfilled as a priority.
