The Hindu : National : Srikant Jena yet to take charge as Minister of State

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Srikant Jena yet to take charge as Minister of State

Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Srikant Jena did not assume charge on Friday despite being in the capital.

He is understood to have informed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior Congress leadership of his predicament in becoming an MoS after having been a Cabinet Minister a decade ago.

Mr. Jena — who was a member of H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral’s Cabinet — conveyed his dilemma to Dr. Singh on Wednesday itself when he was told about his inclusion in the ministry.

Dr. Singh is understood to have spoken to Mr. Jena ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday morning and empathised with the Orissa Congressman’s plight. Further, Dr. Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel assured him that the situation would be rectified and pointed out that his absence at the swearing-in would be an embarrassment for the government.

While he gave in and took the oath of office and secrecy, Mr. Jena has kept a low profile since then.

In fact, after the function, he preferred to stay away from the inside room where the Prime Minister and others were having tea, and stayed with S. Jaipal Reddy in the adjoining hall.

Mr. Jena — who won from Balasore — is the only member of the 15th Lok Sabha from Orissa to have been picked for the ministry. This is also a sore point with Orissa Congress leaders who wonder at the logic in giving Himachal Pradesh two Cabinet ministers when the State has won only one seat.

“We gave the Congress six seats and we get one junior minister’s berth,” is their complaint.

The Orissa leaders say that this will only further alienate the people of the State from the party.

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