Ministers take charge post Cabinet reshuffle
Ministers took charge of their new portfolios on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reshuffled his Cabinet.
C.P. Joshi has assumed the charge as Minister of Road Transport and Highways here on Thursday.
Later talking to the media, Joshi said that making quality roads and greater transparency in the functioning of the Ministry will be his main priority.
Terming his new portfolio as challenging, he said that he would try to meet the expectations of the people.
In his introductory meeting with the senior ministry officials, Joshi called on his officials to make citizens the focus of the work of the Ministry.
He also talked about anticipating the problems being based by the local people during the construction of the highways.
The Minister stressed on creating a feedback mechanism and to make improvements based on the feedback received from the grass root. ?We need to have an open mind,? he said.
Joshi said his focus will be on effective monitoring and using new technology for real time monitoring of the road projects.
Tusharbhai Choudhary also took charge as Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways on Thursday.
Beni Prasad Verma assumed the charge of Ministry of Steel as Minister of State (Independent Charge). This follows the induction of Verma in the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday.
Kumari Selja took charge of Ministry of Culture as a Cabinet minister. The Prime Minister was holding the Charge of Culture ministry before the reshuffle.
Union Cabinet Minister Murli Deora has taken over as the new Minister of Corporate Affairs at Shastri Bhawan here on Thursday.
Salman Khurshid, who earlier held this portfolio, handed over the charge to the new incumbent in the presence of the Secretary of the Ministry, R. Bandyopadhyaya, and other senior officers of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Arun Subhashchandra Yadav took over as Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing here.
Earlier, Yadav was Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
After taking over his new assignment Yadav said that he would try to address farmers? issues in the Agriculture Ministry.
Born in1974 at Borawan Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, Yadav is a commerce graduate and agriculturist by profession.
He represents Khandwa Lok Sabha Constitutency in Parliament. For the first time he was elected to 14th Lok Sabha in by-election in 2007.
CABINET MINISTERS:
1. Shri Praful Patel : Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
2. Shri Shriprakash Jaiswal : Coal
3. Shri Salman Khursheed : Water Resources and additional charge of Minority Affairs
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE):
1. Shri Ajay Maken : Youth Affairs and Sports
2. Shri Beni Prasad Verma : Steel
3. Professor K.V. Thomas : Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
MINISTERS OF STATE:
1. Shri Ashwani Kumar : Planning and Parliamentary Affairs and Science and Technology and Earth Sciences
2. Shri K.C. Venugopal : Power
The portfolios of the following Ministers may also be changed as indicated below:
CABINET MINISTERS:
1. Shri Sharad Pawar : Agriculture and Food Processing Industries
2. Shri Virbhadra Singh : Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
3. Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh : Rural Development and additional charge of Panchayati Raj
4. Shri S. Jaipal Reddy : Petroleum and Natural Gas
5. Shri Kamal Nath : Urban Development
6. Shri Vayalar Ravi : Overseas Indian Affairs and additional charge of Civil Aviation
7. Shri Murli Deora : Corporate Affairs
8. Shri Kapil Sibal : Human Resource Development and additional charge of Communications and Information Technology
9. Shri B.K. Handique : Development of North-Eastern Region
10. Shri C.P. Joshi : Road Transport and Highways
11. Kumari Selja : Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and additional charge of Culture
12. Shri Subodh Kant Sahay : Tourism
13. Dr. M.S. Gill : Statistics and Programme Implementation
14. Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal : Parliamentary Affairs and additional charge of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE):
1. Shri Dinsha Patel : Mines
MINISTERS OF STATE:
1. Shri E. Ahamed : External Affairs
2. Shri Harish Rawat : Agriculture and Food Processing Industries
3. Shri V. Narayanasamy : Parliamentary Affairs and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister?s Office
4. Shri Gurudas Kamat : Home Affairs
5. Shri A. Sai Prathap : Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
6. Shri Bharatsinh Solanki : Railways
7. Shri Jitin Prasada : Road Transport and Highways
8. Shri Mahadev S Khandela : Tribal Affairs
9. Shri R.P.N. Singh : Petroleum and Natural Gas and Corporate Affairs
10. Shri Tusharbhai Chaudhary : Road Transport and Highways
11. Shri Arun Yadav : Agriculture and Food Processing Industries
12. Shri Pratik Prakashbapu Patil : Coal
13. Shri Vincent Pala : Water Resources and Minority Affairs
