B S Yediyurappa allocates portfolios to new Ministers, effects changes for some

In a significant reshuffle, J C Madhuswamy has been divested of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Minor Irrigation portfolios and allocated Medical Education, Kannada and Culture departments.

Madhuswamy was the key minister who used to put up a strong defence of the government in the Assembly

The Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation department has been given to Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai as an additional portfolio.

The Forest Department has been taken back from Anand Singh, who has now been given the Tourism portfolio in addition to Environment and Ecology; while the responsibility of the Medical Education Department has been taken back from Health and Family Welfare Minister K Sudhakar.

C C Patil, who earlier held the Mines and Geology portfolio has now been given charge of Small Scale Industries and Information and Public Relations department also.

Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari has been relieved from the responsibility of Fisheries, Ports and Inland Transport Department and will now have Muzrai and Backward Classes Welfare Department.

While Haj and Wakf Department has been taken back from Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan; Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar has been divested of the Sugar department.

K Gopalaiah, who has been divested of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs Department, has now been made incharge of Horticulture and Sugar departments and K C Narayana Gowda has been given Youth Empowerment, Sports, Haj and Wakf Departments, while Municipal Administration, Horticulture and Sericulture departments have been taken back from him.

The Chief Minister has kept the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), Cabinet Affairs, Finance, Bangalore Development, Energy, Intelligence, Planning, Programme Monitoring Statistics, Infrastructure Development and all unallocated portfolios with himself.

According to sources, there is resentment among some Ministers about portfolios allocated to them and are likely to meet the Chief Minister in this regard.

Ending a long wait, Yediyurappa had expanded his 17- month old cabinet on January 13, by inducting seven ministers as he also dropped H Nagesh who was holding the Excise portfolio.

Also, several MLAs had expressed serious reservations about MLCs not elected by the people being made Ministers, lack of representation with most Ministers still from Bengaluru and Belagavi districts, and also on their "seniority or sacrifice" not being considered.

There are now 33 Ministers in the cabinet, whose total strength is 34.