New govt sorts out portfolio mess

Santosh Mohan Dev, minister of state (independent charge) for heavy industries and public enterprise, took charge of his ministry yesterday, while the other minister of state allotted the same portfolio, Mohammad Taslimuudin, was shifted to agriculture, food and civil supplies.

Earlier in the day, Secretary for Heavy Industries Naresh Narad had informed an unhappy Taslimuddin that it would be some time before he could take charge of any office.

"The secretary informed me that there is some confusion over the portfolio, which is why I have not been able to take charge," said Taslimuddin.

While the confusion involving Deb and Taslimuddin has been sorted out, Delhi MP Jagdish Tytler will have to sort out a few things. Tytler's department "" non-resident affairs "" has been newly created and hence has no establishment as of now.

Moreover, Tytler has no idea what his job entails. "I'm still to get a brief on what my portfolio is about. As to my office, three locations have been suggested to me, it will be finalised by next week," he said.

Prem Gupta, minister of state for company affairs, was today allotted a new office in Shastri Bhawan. Gupta was upset yesterday when he discovered that he did not have an office as the company affairs department, which was so long under the finance ministry, was spun off into a separate ministry only on Sunday.

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ramvilas Paswan, who was sore at not getting the railway portfolio, appeared to have settled into his new job as minister of steel and chemicals and fertilisers. He was in the Shastri Bhawan office of the chemicals and fertilisers ministry all morning.

His supporters, however, said after watching the DMK press conference in Chennai, where the party had brandished a written agreement with the Congress on portfolio allocation, Paswan felt "depressed". "Mantriji felt that he too should have taken a written undertaking from the Congress over portfolios," said a supporter.

The day clearly belonged to the DMK ministers, who were successful in getting the Congress to yield to their demand for the shipping and revenue ministries, which had been promised to them earlier.

All Congress allies, including the LJP, felt the DMK did the smart thing by obtaining a written undertaking on portfolio distribution from the Congress.

With new departments being created and old departments being bifurcated or merged, some confusion did prevail even two days after the allocation of portfolios to ministers.

Next, ministerial staff are expected to make a lunge for office space in Parliament as well. Paswan's supporters have already made a beeline for Parliament House, the rest are expected to follow soon.