Ministers vying for plum assignments; the CM expected to declare portfolios after returning from Goa
Tuesday, 29 March 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The pressure politics deployed by the ministers for plum departments is being said to be the reason behind delay in the allocation of the portfolios of the ministers in Uttarakhand. It is expected that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami could announce the portfolios of the minister on late Monday evening after his return from Goa. He was in Goa to attend the swearing in ceremony of CM Pramod Sawant. The CM Pushkar Singh Dhami had taken oath as chief minister of Uttarakhand for the second term on March 23 and along with him seven cabinet ministers also took oath. However the portfolios of the ministers have not been allocated for the last six days. It is expected that the CM would distribute portfolios on Monday night after his return from Goa. In the event of further delay in portfolio allocation the Dhami government could go into the three day assembly session with its ministers without portfolios. Dhami has already handed over the task of floor management which comes under the minister heading the parliamentary affairs to former speaker Prem Chand Agarwal.
It is learnt that delay in the distribution of the portfolios is taking place due to pressure being exerted by the ministers for plum assignments. In this cabinet five ministers (Satpal Maharaj, Dhan Singh Rawat, Subodh Uniyal, Ganesh Joshi and Rekha Arya) were in the cabinet of Dhami in his first term. All these ministers are said to be in favour of retaining their old portfolios. Apart from the eyes of the ministers they are said to be on plum assignments such as Public Works Department (PWD), forest, power and Panchayati Raj and others.
Sources indicate that CM Dhami has done necessary homework regarding allocation of portfolios. However a final decision would be taken after he receives a green signal from the party high command. The home minister Amit Shah, national president of BJP, J P Nadda and national general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh are likely to give a final approval on portfolio allocation.
