India, Aug. 13 -- Ten days after expanding his cabinet, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday allocated portfolios to the newly inducted Ministers, while effecting changes in the departments assigned to a couple of Ministers who assumed office earlier. Interestingly, the portfolio allocation occurred a day before the state legislature's Monsoon session. Shivakumar has retained Finance, Cabinet Affairs, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Intelligence, and other unallocated departments. The portfolios of several key ministers inducted in the first round of cabinet formation remain unchanged, including Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara (Revenue and Sports) and Priyank Kharge (Home, IT & BT, e-Governance, among others). Also Read - Rahul calls RSS-BJP 'bunch of jokers', scoffs at PM's foreign policy 'based on hugs' The allocation of portfolios to the newly inducted Ministers has been done after rounds of discussion between Shivakumar and the Congress high command. The CM had been to New Delhi on Sunday evening to discuss with AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and party General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, in this regard. Five Ministers, who were earlier part of Siddaramaiah cabinet, have managed to retain their portfolios. They include: B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan - Housing; Shivaraj Tangadagi - Backward Classes Welfare and Kannada and Culture; Madhu Bangarappa - Primary and Secondary Education; Santosh Lad - Labour and Employment; S S Mallikarjun - Mines and Geology. Also Read - Dismiss CBI's challenge to discharge in excise case: Kejriwal, Sisodia to Delhi HC Cheluvarayaswamy, who was Agriculture Minister in Siddaramaiah cabinet, is now the Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation. B Nagendra, whose resignation the opposition BJP is demanding, as he is facing charges in connection with the alleged embezzlement of crores of rupees at the state-run Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, has been given the Planning and Statistics portfolio. He was earlier Minister for Scheduled Tribes (ST) Welfare, Youth Services, and Sports in Siddaramaiah's cabinet. Shivakumar was sworn in as the chief minister along with 13 ministers on June 3, following Siddaramaiah's resignation as CM on May 28. Also Read - BJP has nothing but money left to win UP polls, says Akhilesh over reported Rs 20,000 women aid Two months after assuming charge as the CM, Shivakumar expanded his Cabinet on August 3 by inducting 19 ministers, bringing the total strength to 33. Portfolios of two Ministers, who were unhappy with what was assigned to them and had publicly expressed displeasure, have been changed. Ramalinga Reddy has been shifted from the Major and Medium Irrigation Department to the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department; while K H Muniyappa has been moved from Food and Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs to the Social Welfare Department. Health Minister U T Khader has been given additional charge of Minority Welfare, Haj & Wakf.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.