Tezzbuzz Desk- After the second phase of cabinet expansion of DK Shivakumar government in Karnataka, new ministers have been given the responsibility of departments. Along with finalizing the division of departments, the Chief Minister has also made changes in the portfolio of some senior ministers. The 19 new ministers who took oath on August 3 have now got their portfolios.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has kept with him important portfolios like Finance, Cabinet Affairs, Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Intelligence, Information, Law and Justice, Human Rights, Parliamentary Affairs, Legislative Affairs and Agricultural Marketing. The responsibility of the departments which have not been allocated will also remain with the Chief Minister.
With the cabinet expansion, the responsibilities of some old ministers have also been reshuffled. KH Muniyappa has been given the Social Welfare Department instead of the Food Department. At the same time, he has been given the responsibility of Forest, Ecology and Environment Department by taking the Water Resources Department from Ramalinga Reddy.
Both Muniyappa and Ramalinga Reddy were said to be dissatisfied with their old portfolios. Muniyappa had also met Rahul Gandhi regarding changing the department, while Ramalinga Reddy had even offered to resign after being given the Water Resources department.
New ministers got these responsibilities
- Laxman Savadi – Co-operation
- Santosh Lad – Labor
- UT Khadar – Minority Welfare & Waqf, Health & Family Welfare
- Shivraj Thangadagi – Backward Class Welfare, Kannada and Culture
- Basavaraj Rayareddy – Higher Education
- HC Balakrishna – Municipal Administration
- KS Basavanthappa – Muzrai and Fisheries
- N Chaluvarayaswami – Water Resources
- Madhu Bangarappa – Primary and Secondary Education
- SS Mallikarjuna – Mines and Geology
- B Nagendra – Planning and Statistics
- Narendraswami – Agriculture
- C Puttrangshetty – Animal Husbandry and Sericulture
- T Raghumurthy – Scheduled Tribe Welfare
- Rizwan Arshad – Food and Civil Supplies
- Rudrappa Lamani – Sugar and Textiles
- Shivalingegowda – Excise
- Vijayanand Kashappanavar – Small Scale Industries
- BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan – Residence
- Ajay Singh – Minor Irrigation and IT-BT
departments of key ministers
Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Parameshwara has been given the responsibility of Revenue and Youth Empowerment and Sports Department. Priyank Kharge has been assigned Home Department, KJ George Energy and Tourism, MB Patil Commerce and Industry and Satish Jarkiholi has been assigned Public Works Department.
Apart from this, Krishna Bhairegowda has got the responsibility of Bengaluru Development (GBA), Bhairati Suresh has got the responsibility of Transport, Dr. Yatindra Siddaramaiah has got the responsibility of Urban Development, Dr. Sharanprakash Patil has got the responsibility of Medical Education and Ishwar Khandre has got the responsibility of Rural Development Department.
With this division of departments, the long-running speculations regarding the portfolio in the Karnataka government have come to an end. While assigning responsibilities to new and senior ministers, experience, regional balance and political equations have been kept in mind.