Hyderabad:Three more Ministers -- N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Kondru Murali Mohan and G. Prasad Kumar -- were inducted into the Kiran Kumar Reddy Cabinet here on Monday. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administe
red the oath of office and secrecy to the new Ministers at a simple ceremony at 6.28 p.m. in the Raj Bhavan lawns, raising the strength of the Cabinet to 41. Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha, Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy and Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy were conspicuous by their absence at the swearing-in ceremony.
With the latest expansion, the Council of Ministers has come to resemble a jig-saw puzzle where the pieces fall into places bit by bit. It was just 18 days ago on January 19 that the Chief Minister inducted two legislators of the Praja Rajyam, C. Ramachandraiah and Ganta Srinivasa Rao, into his Cabinet.
Going by the Congress leaders' indications, the latest instalment of Cabinet changes may not be the last. The Chief Minister is bringing pressure on the Congress leadership in New Delhi to give him a free hand for a comprehensive overhaul of the Cabinet. The party high command, however, is equally determined not to upset the political applecart. There was no official announcement about the allocation of portfolios to the new Ministers till late in the night but official sources said Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy had cut Mr. Rajanarsimha to size by stripping him of the additional portfolio of Agriculture and Dr. Ravindra Reddy by divesting him of the subjects of Medical Education, 104 and 108 ambulance service.
Mr. Rajanarsimha now retains Higher Education & Technical Education and Dr. Ravindra Reddy Health & Family Welfare.
Sources further said that the Agriculture portfolio had been entrusted to Kanna Lakshminarayana who, in turn, has been relieved of Housing. Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy has been given Housing, Mr. Murali Mohan Medical Education, 104 & 108 services and Mr. Prasad Kumar Handlooms & Textiles which were handled by his uncle P. Shankar Rao.
Of the three new Ministers, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy (Huzurnagar) and Mr. Prasad Kumar (Vikarabad) hail from Telangana while Mr. Murali Mohan represents Rajam constituency in Srikakulam district. The inclusion of Mr. Murali Mohan's name in the last minute came as a surprise as the expansion was initially expected to be limited to MLAs from Telangana. It was justified on the ground of striking a caste balance since Mr. Murali Mohan hails from the Mala community, a sub-caste of SCs.
