Six Cabinet committees reconstituted

The Narendra-Modi government announced the reconstitution of six Cabinet committees on Thursday.

Security, economic affairs, appointments and political affairs ones will be headed by the Prime Minister. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will head the parliamentary affairs and the official accommodation ones. Singh's name appears after the PM's in the other four panels.

Some ministers from allies of the ruling party in the National Democratic Alliance have been included in the political affairs one. They are Harsimrat Kaur (Akali Dal), Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Janshakti Party) and Anant Geete (Shiv Sena).

The economic affairs one does not have Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. It will have 11, including Modi, Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The parliamentary affairs one has eight members. The Modi-led security one will have Singh, Swaraj and Jaitley. The appointments one, led by Modi, has Singh as the other member. The accommodation one will have four members.

Earlier this month, Modi had scrapped the cabinet committees on prices, world trade matters and the Unique Identification Authority scheme. The economic affairs one will handle these matters. Modi had abolished the natural calamities one. Its functions are to go to a panel under Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth. Other functions will mostly be handled by the economic affairs one.

The investment one did not figure in the dissolved or rejigged ones.

REJIGGED CABINET PANELS

Prime minister will head:

• Security
• Economic affairs
• Appointments
• Political affairs

Home minister will head:

• Parliamentary affairs
• Official accommodation