PM tinkers with portfolios

Dasmunshi gets I&B; Jaipal gets Urban Development in minor reshuffle

Facing pressure from various quarters, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) led by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh abandoned a large scale reshuffle of his cabinet and instead, seemed content with a minor reallocation of portfolios.

A much needed administrative restructuring of ministries was also abandoned, something the government desperately needs in order to keep up with the demands of the changing socio-economic realities.

Singh retained External Affairs, but moved S Jaipal Reddy from Information and Broadcasting (I&B) to Urban Development and Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi from Water Resources to I&B.

Singh confined Friday's reshuffle, necessitated by the winter session of Parliament beginning next Wednesday, to portfolios held by Congress ministers, while, retaining the coal portfolio which was taken from JMM leader Shibu Soren last year when he went to Ranchi to become Jharkhand Chief Minister.

The Prime Minister had taken over charge of External Affairs from Natwar Singh in the wake of the controversy over his name figuring in the Volcker committee report as a beneficiary in the Iraqi oil scam.

While Reddy will retain the Culture portfolio, Dasmunshi, chief whip of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, will also retain Parliamentary Affairs portfolio, which he acquired after the exit of Ghulam Nabi Azad a fortnight ago to become Jammu and Kashmir chief minister.

Azad had also held the Urban Development charge. Both Reddy and Dasmunshi are ministers of cabinet rank. In changes at the minister of state level, Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises Minister Santosh Mohan Deb has been given additional charge of Water Resources so far held by Dasmunshi.

Another Minister of State with independent charge, Oscar Fernandes has been given the portfolios of Sports and Youth Affairs and Overseas