KL Report
Srinagar
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah may share part of his responsibilities with other after he affects a reshuffle in his council later on Monday. Omar is presently holding the charge of Home, General Administration, Planning and Development, Power, Works, Education, Information, Civil Aviation, Hospitality and Protocol, and Estates.
Chief Minister kept the Works Ministry portfolio with him after G A Saroori was axed for his daughter’s alleged proxy participation in a professional course examination. He was later exonerated by the CBI. Similarly when Peerzada Sayeed was accused of using his official position to help his foster son manage passage in a school examination, he was demoted as a minister for PSUs as his education portfolio was kept by Omar with him. Though an enquiry was ordered against Sayeed, its outcome is till unknown. Both these portfolios belong to Congress.
Under a constitutional amendment effected during Ghulam Nabi Azad’s leadership, J&K can not have a council of ministers exceeding 20 percent of the total membership (123) of the state’s bicameral legislature. With 22 in the council right now, there are only three berths vacant of which two belong to Congress. In the 22-member J&K council of ministers, NC has 11 ministers including nine cabinet ministers while Congress has 10 ministers including six cabinet ministers. The reshuffle, reported to be comprehensive, will essentially necessitate replacing some of the ministers.
In a 22-district state, Jammu, Srinagar and Baramulla districts have more than two ministers and there are three other districts with two ministers each. It leaves as many as eight districts literally unrepresented. If probity is an issue that merits consideration in the reshuffle, then 13 of the 22 politicians comprising the council may require a change, sources in the Congress and NC said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will be reshuffling his council of ministers for the third time later Tuesday since he assumed office in early 2009. He took oath of office on January 5, 2009 with nine Ministers plus Chief Minister with five each belonged to NC and Congress.
The last reshuffle took place on July 12, 2009 with the induction of 13 Ministers, eight of Cabinet rank and five MoS with two of them Aijaz Khan and Dr Manohar Lal Sharma getting Independent charge. Six Ministers each were sworn in from NC and Congress and one from DPN.
The July reshuffle had taken strength of the Council of Ministry including the CM to 23 with two vacancies—one each of NC and Congress. However, after the removal of Saroori on August 24, 2010, the strength of the Ministry had come down to 22 taking total vacancies to three and Congress to two.
