New Delhi: The battle for portfolios having ended, the newly inducted ministers are now fighting it out for office space in the government bhavans. With only a single ministerial size room available in the Udyog Bhavan here for a Minister of State in the Commerce and Industry Ministry, the two appointees were locked in a tussle over its occupancy on Tuesday.

The media, which met the Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday, interacted with Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar in the same room on Wednesday. The administration was in a quandary as the room occupied by E.V.K.S. Elangovan when he was Minister of State was the only one available with sufficient space for private secretaries and guests.

The musical chairs began on Tuesday when Mr. Ramesh was asked to occupy the room and he even held several meetings with the media and officials there. To his surprise, he found Mr. Kumar walking into the room along with an entourage, including security staff and family members, sources said. The impasse continued for some time with both Ministers remaining in the same room, waiting for the other to walk out. Finally, the sources said, Mr. Ramesh walked out of the room.

Though officials scurried to find a suitable office, the Minister of State for Commerce was even forced to spend some time initially in a large conference room.

Ultimately, he was parked in an additional secretary's room on the first floor.

Renovation

Official sources say that so many new ministers have been appointed that it is difficult to find the required space in this sprawling government building. Already remodelling and renovation were done when the National Democratic Alliance government's Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley shifted the traditional ministerial office. It looks as if a second round of renovation is now on the cards.

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