PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Dispelling the ongoing speculation about an imminent expansion of his cabinet, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that his recent New Delhi tour was a personal visit. CM Dhami who was on a two day visit to the national capital returned to Dehradun on Thursday morning. Interacting with the media persons on his return the CM said that the expansion of the cabinet was not discussed in Delhi. During his Delhi visit, the CM attended the post-wedding reception of the sons of union minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan.
Coming in the backdrop of the resignation of Finance and Parliamentary Affairs minister Prem Chand Aggarwal, the Delhi visit of CM gave credence to the speculation of a reshuffle and expansion of the State cabinet. It was being speculated that the CM will expand his team of ministers any time before March 23, the day he completes three years in office as CM.
After the ‘personal visit’ comment of the CM it is now clear that the aspirants of a berth in the Dhami cabinet will have to wait for some more time. It is now believed that the cabinet expansion and reshuffle can take place during the period of Chaitra Navratri which is starting from March 30.
It is also learnt that the Dhami government could appoint position holders before going ahead with the cabinet expansion. The appointment of a new State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party can also take place before the expansion and reshuffle of the State cabinet.
More than two dozen positions in many boards, commissions and committees are vacant at present. Many leaders of the BJP are eying these positions from quite some time now. Top positions in the Uttarakhand State Commission for Women, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam and others are vacant. The organisation of the State BJP is said to have handed over a list having names of about 30 leaders for appointment on various positions in the State government.
After the recent resignation of Premchand Aggarwal from Dhami cabinet following protests in different parts of the State over alleged use of foul language by him against the people of mountainous parts of the State, the number of vacancies in the cabinet have now increased to five. It is expected that CM can reshuffle his team by removing a couple of controversial and non performing ministers. At present Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Haridwar, Nainital, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts are unrepresented in the cabinet.
