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Tsunami & After

Manmohan reshuffles his Cabinet

     New Delhi: In a minor reshuffle of portfolios in the Union Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday shifted S Jaipal Reddy from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to the Ministry of Urban Development, which was held by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. However, Reddy retains charge of the Ministry of Culture, a government notification said. Union Water Resources Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi will be the new Information and Broadcasting Minister in addition to being the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, an additional charge that was also held by Ghulam Nabi Azad. Ocsar Fernandes will be the new Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs and will also be in charge of the Ministry of Planning and Programme Implementation.

      The reshuffle of the Union Cabinet has been necessitated to fill at least five vacancies which have arisen due to various reasons, including resignations. Most of the portfolios rendered vacant are since being looked after by the Prime Minister pending the new appointments. According to one report, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has expressed the view that the expansion sbould take place only after the results of the Bihar Assembly elections are known. Besides Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development and External Affairs rendered vacant by the resignations of Mr Azad and Mr Natwar Singh respectively, the other portfolios that require fresh induction include Sports and Youth Affairs, lying vacant due to the death of Sunil Dutt, and Ministry of Coal vacated by JMM leader Shibu Soren in the wake of first becoming the Chief Minister of Jharkhand and subsequently resigning. Among those expected to be inducted into the Cabinet are AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni, AICC Treasurer Moti Lal Vora and Congress leaders Mohsina Kidwai, Jyotiraditya Scindia, G K Vasan and AK Antony.