PM shakes up portfolios, says more to follow

NEW DELHI, JAN 19
 No minister was dropped but there were major changes in portfolios in the reshuffle of the Union Cabinet today which saw S Jaipal Reddy getting petroleum, Praful Patel moving to heavy industries, Kamal Nath to urban development and Murli Deora to corporate affairs.
  The exercise, described as “minor” by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who promised a “more expansive exercise” after the budget session of parliament starting next month, saw the elevation of three ministers of State—Praful Patel,
Shriprakash Jaiswal and Salman Khursheed— to cabinet rank and induction of three new faces—Beni Prasad Verma, Ashwani Kumar and K C Venugopal—as ministers of State. Kumar made a re-entry into the government having been a minister in UPA I.
Verma was inducted as minister of State with independent charge while ministers of State Ajay Maken and K V Thomas got promotions when they got ministries with independent charge.
 The change of portfolios adversely affected Sports Minister M S Gill who has been moved to statistics and programme implementation, Virbhadra Singh from steel to micro, small and medium enterprises, Vilasrao Deshmukh from heavy industries to rural development and Murli Deora from petroleum to corporate affairs.
The other cabinet ministers whose portfolios were changed were B K Handique from whom mines was taken away leaving him only with development of northeastern region and C P Joshi, who was shifted from panchayati affairs and rural development to road transport and highways.
Kapil Sibal, who was recently given telecom portfolio after the exit of DMK’s  A Raja, retained both the telecom and HRD ministries while science, technology and earth sciences were taken away from him.
Sharad Pawar, President of  NCP, which was the only Congress ally to be touched in this reshuffle, lost consumer affairs, food and public distribution.