The Hindu : Coal and Mines for Mamata

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 09, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

Coal and Mines for Mamata

By Our Special Correspondent

Mamata Banerjee

NEW DELHI, JAN. 8. In probably the last Cabinet "reshuffle" before the next Lok Sabha election, the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, finally found a ministerial slot for the Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee.

She has been Cabinet Minister without portfolio since September as she did not like the ministerial assignments that were being offered to her.

Today, she finally accepted the Coal and Mines Ministry. It was the same portfolio that was offered to her and which she rejected when Mr. Vajpayee effected the last expansion/reshuffle on September 8, 2003.

Karia Munda, till now the Minister of Coal, has been given independent charge of the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources.

This portfolio was unattended since the departure from the Cabinet of the MDMK nominee, M. Kannappan.

The only concession that has been made to Ms. Banerjee is that she also gets additional charge of the Ministry of Mines.

Traditionally, the Coal and Mines departments have been clubbed into one Ministry. In the process, Ramesh Bais, who was Minister of State (independent charge) for Mines, now gets independent charge as Minister of State for Environment and Forests (the Ministry vacated by the DMK nominee, T.R. Baalu).

The Minister of State for Health and Family, vacated by yet another DMK nominee, A. Raja, goes to Vallabhbhai Kathiria.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section

Excise, customs duties cut ahead of polls

More runs don't mean better quality

NDA leaves it to Vajpayee

Coal and Mines for Mamata

CRPF question paper leaked