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| Dis-contented Ministers stay away from offices | | Post reshuffle | |
Bashir Assad
Jammu, Jan 30: The conspicuous absence of a number of senior Ministers from their offices after January15 cabinet reshuffle-cum-expansion has revealed a festering discontentment in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government.
Most of the senior Ministers particularly from Congress chose to stay away from their offices in the Civil Secretariat on one pretext or the other while offices of a couple of newly inducted senior ministers from NC camp also remain locked for most of the time since January 15 when the cabinet expansion took place. While Congress Ministers are upset over stripping of the important portfolios- they were holding before Jan15, few NC Ministers are upset over allotment of insignificant portfolios.
Sources told Early Times that Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar was upset over losing the key portfolio of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, which was allocated to Mir Saifullah, a fresh entrant. However, if the pre-expansion-cum-reshuffle reports hold any water, Sagar was actually to be dropped from the cabinet, but last minute intervention by NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah saved him from disgraceful exit from the cabinet. But sources still insist that Sagar, has pointed out privately how most of the Cabinet Ministers had been stripped of key portfolios and allocated just one department while the junior Ministers (Ministers of State) had been granted not only some portfolios as independent charge but also six to eight departments each. Sagar is now very rarely spotted in his office in the civil secretariat.
On the other hand Minister for Housing and Horticulture, Raman Bhalla has also chosen to stay away from his office for most of the times. As for the Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Nawang Rigzin Jora, though he is coming regularly to Civil Secretariat but is mostly spotted in office chambers of his other cabinet colleagues complaining about the allotment of an insignificant portfolio to him.
Meanwhile, the newly inducted ministers who too are not satisfied with the portfolios-they have been allotted. Among all, the most discontented should be the Minister for Higher Education, Mohammad Akbar Lone. Lone who, till afternoon January15 was enjoying the constitutional status/ protocol next to the Governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, has all of a sudden fallen from the grace. He too chooses to stay away from his new office for most of the times. likewise his old friend and party colleague, Choudhary Mohd Ramzan who has been allotted office next to Lone, too is seldom spotted in the office, though he has comparatively got a better portfolio. Forest Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad, three Mirs ( Ghulam Hasan Mir, Mir Saifullah and G A Mir) and Abdul Majid Wani seem to be the only five cabinet ministers who are satisfied. Mian Altaf, Mir Saifullah, Ghulam Hasan Mir attend their offices regularly and have a quick disposal too. Wani, who was on tour first to Srinagar and then flew to Delhi is also very happy for getting a high profile portfolio of Public Works (R&B).
Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, though not happy with his new assignment has started asserting himself and convened several meetings during last three or four days of his department.
However, Sham Lal Sharma who emerged very strong after the Jan.15 cabinet reshuffle is busy in spot inspections presently. he too is not spotted in his office.
Certainly a level of discontent visible among all those who have been either dropped from the cabinet or allotted less significant portfolios and only few among them have reconciled so far, rest are still restless while few among the restless lot still believe miracles will happen in April. But it the junior ministers ( ministers of state ) who are really carrying the day, Aijaz Khan, Sajad Kichloo, Nazir Gurezi, Shabir Khan, Waqar Rasool who have been allotted five to six portfolios each with one independent charge are winners of the day. |
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