Pm: Cabinet Reshuffle This Week-End

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday said the Union Cabinet would be reshuffled this week-end, covering the economic ministries too.

"I am thinking of reshuffling the Cabinet. Vacancies will be filled. Some new faces will also be there. This week-end is scheduled for the reshuffle. It may involve some economic ministries as well," the Prime Minister said in an online chat on the India Today website last evening.

Expressing his commitment to fighting corruption, the Prime Minister said, "Wherever there is a delay in decision making or unlimited discretion in the decision-making powers, there is corruption."

The government, therefore, has been focusing on reducing delays in decision making and implementation. There has also been right-sizing of the government, coupled with economic reforms that has minimised government interference.

Vajpayee said the Right To Information Bill was ready and would be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament. He called upon the people to write directly to the anti-corruption cell of the PMO or mail to him on the PMO website, www.pmindia.nic.in, if they encountered corruption.

On the Sankhya Vahini project, the Prime Minister said the Cabinet had taken the decision after a "great deal of deliberation". Some misgivings were expressed and communications minister Ramvilas Paswan had "fully explained" the government position in Parliament.

But if any fresh points were raised, "We will consider them and act in the best interest of the country," he said. When asked who he thought was good enough in his party to lead the nation after him, the Prime Minister said, "Whoever the party chooses".

On the economic situation, Vajpayee said the fundamentals of the economy were sound. The year had ended with a 6 per cent growth in the gross domestic product coupled with modest inflation, low current account deficit, a manufacturing sector growing at 11 per cent and agriculture showing positive signs.

"Our stable fundamentals augur well for our sustained and diversified growth as among the world's fastest-growing economies," the Prime Minster said.

The Prime Minister said a new Telecom Act 2000 would be introduced based on technological convergence. The government would also take measures to resolve the problems of basic and cellular operators.

Teledensity will be significantly improved and the government will also create conditions for high band-width connectivity for realising this objective.

The Prime Minister said the government wanted to ensure a well over 7 per cent GDP growth to wipe out poverty, disease and illiteracy. "Economic reforms will enable our latent energies to be fully realised,"