Telangana's CM holds all welfare portfolios

K T Ramarao, KCR's son, has been appointed minister for Panchayat Raj and information technology, while Harish Rao, his nephew got the irrigation portfolio

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, or KCR, has decided to hold all welfare-driven portfolios in the new state. This is perhaps the only instance in the recent past that a chief minister is directly holding the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Community and Minorities Welfare departments. Typically, these portfolios are given to ministers from the social or caste background concerned.

Earlier, KCR had promised to spend Rs 1 lakh crore on programmes targeting the welfare of these sections, through the next five years. On Monday, he said he wouldn’t allow any misuse of funds meant for these programmes.

KCR also holds the crucial energy and coal portfolio. He has promised to turn the power-deficit Telangana state into one with surplus power in three years.

As promised, a Muslim and a Dalit leader were appointed deputy chief ministers. Md Mahamood Ali, one of the two, was also given the important portfolios of revenue, relief and rehabilitation, urban land ceiling, and stamps and registration. T Rajaiah, the other deputy chief minister, was allocated the medial and health portfolio.

Senior party functionaries Naini Narasimha Reddy, who didn’t contest the recent elections, and Etela Rajender, earlier the TRS legislature party leader, were given the home and finance portfolios, respectively. Pocharam Srinivs Reddy, who had earlier quit as MLA from the Telugu Desam Party, was entrusted with the agriculture portfolio.

K T Ramarao, KCR’s son, has been appointed minister for Panchayat Raj and information technology, while Harish Rao, the chief minister’s nephew was given the irrigation portfolio. The excise and prohibition portfolio was given to T Padma Rao, an MLA from Hyderabad city. The transport, forests and education portfolios were given to P Mahender Reddy, Jogu Ramanna and G Jagadish Reddy, respectively.