Karnataka CM reshuffles portfolios in revamped ministry

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday shuffled portfolios of his ministers, alloting some of them to the 13 new ministers inducted two days back.

According to an official notification, Governor Vajubhai Vala, on the chief minister's recommendation, allocated the revenue portfolio to Kagodu Thimmappa.

The 84-year-old, seniormost Congress lawmaker from Shivamogga was the assembly speaker since the party returned to power in May 2013.

The key portfolio was held by Mysuru region's lawmaker Srinivasa Prasad, who was among the 14 ministers dropped on Sunday.

Of the 13 new faces, nine were sworn-in with cabinet rank and four as ministers of state.

In the 33-member ministry, including the chief minister, 27 hold cabinet ranks, while six are ministers of state.

In addition to finance, personal and intelligence wing, Siddaramaiah has kept housing and information and broadcasting portfolios with him.

Rebel Kannada star and Mandya lawmaker M.H. Ambareesh was holding housing.

Senior cabinet ministers G. Parameshwara (home), Ramalinga Reddy (transport), T.B. Jayachandra (law & parliamentary affairs), B. Ramanatha Rai (forests & environment), H.K. Patil (rural development & panchayat raj), H.C. Mahadevappa (public works & ports), K.J. George (Bengaluru development), M.B. Patil (major & medium irrigation), H. Anjaneya (social welfare), D.K Shivakumar (energy), H.C. Mahadevappa (cooperation) and R. Roshan Baig (urban development) retained their portfolios.

Baig has been given Haj as an additional portfolio, in lieu of information & broadcasting, the chief minister took away from him.

Lone woman cabinet minister Umashree retained women & child development, Kannada & culture, while two ministers of state, promoted on Monday to cabinet rank -- Krishna Byregowda (agriculture) and Sharanprakash Patil (medical education) also retained their portfolios.

Cabinet minister U.T. Khader has been shifted to food & civil supplies and consumer affairs from health & family welfare, which new cabinet minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar will hold from Wednesday.

Of the other new cabinet ministers, Tanveer Sait has been given primary & secondary education, minority welfare and Wakf, S.S. Mallikarjuna horticulture, Ramesh Jarakiholi small scale industries, M.R. Seetharam science & technology, Santhosh Lad labour, Basavaraj Rayareddi higher education and M.H. Yamanappa excise.

Of the newly ministers of state, Priyank Kharge got the high-profile IT & BT and tourism, which Deshpande was holding till the reshuffle.

As the youngest minister in the cabinet, 36-year-old Priyank is a first-time lawmaker from Kalaburgi district in the state's northern region and son of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge.

Other three new ministers of state - R.M. Lamani has been given textiles, Eshwara Kandre municipalities & local bodies, and Pramod Madhwaraj youth services & fisheries.

Incumbent ministers of state Vinay Kulkarni and A. Manju retained mines & geology and animal husbandry & sericulture respectively.

--IANS

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