Three days after 29 Ministers were sworn in, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday allocated portfolios to all ministers and kept for himself important portfolios of Finance, Bengaluru Development and Intelligence.
The first time minister Araga Jnanendra (Theerthahalli, Shivamogga district) is the new Home Minister, the portfolio held by Mr. Bommai in the previous B.S. Yediyurappa-led government.
About 18 ministers have been allocated more or less same portfolios, or with the additional portfolios.
Nine ministers held the same portfolios and they are: R. Ashok (Revenue), S. Anagara (Fisheries, Ports and Inland Transport), C.N. Ashwath Narayan, (Higher Education, IT/BT/Science and Technology and Skill Development), Prabhu Chauhan – Animal Husbandry, Shivaram Hebbar (Labour), S.T. Somashekar (Cooperation), B.A. Basavaraja (Urban Development), K. Sudhakar (Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education), K. Gopaliah (Excise) and B.C. Patil (Agriculture).
Five Ministers have lost their old portfolios they held in the Mr. Yediyurappa-led government and have been allocated new portfolios. These ministers are Govind M. Karjol, B. Sriramulu, C.C. Patil, Murugesh R. Nirani, and Shahikala Jolle.
Besides retaining old portfolios, five Ministers have been allocated additional portfolios and they are V. Somanna, Umesh V. Katti, J.C. Madhuswamy, Anand Singh and N. Nagaraju (MTB).
Senior minister Mr. Karjol has been allocated Major and Medium Irrigation while K.S. Eshwarappa retained the same portfolio of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development.
Another first time minister V. Sunial Kumar has been allocated plump portfolio of Energy and Kannada Culture.
B.C. Nagesh, who too is the first time minister, has been allocated Primary and Secondary, and Sakala, portfolios held by S. Suresh Kumar, who was dropped from the cabinet.
Ms. Jolle, who has been facing charges of misappropriation of funds in tendering process of eggs meant for distribution to children and lactating mothers in Anganwadi centres, has been given profile of Muzarai, Haj and Wakf, regarded a lighter assignment.
Frist time Minister Halappa Achar Basappa has been allocated two major portfolios of Mines and Geology, and Women and Child Development, Disabled and Senior Citizens Empowerment.
Kota Srinivas Poojari while retaining Backward Classes Welfare, bagged additional social welfare department.
C.C. Patil, who is the loyalist of Mr Yediyurappa, held low profile portfolio of small scale industry earlier, has been given Public Works Department (PWD), which has a huge budgetary funds.
B. Sriramulu has been given Transport and ST Welfare. The Mr. Bommai-led government has created a separate Secretariat for welfare of STs. Laxman Savadi, who was dropped from the Cabinet held the transport portfolio.
Mr. Somanna retained Housing and received additional Infrastructure Development. Mr Katti too has retained Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and received additional Forest.
Mr. Madhuswamy retained minor irrigation and bagged additional Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation, the portfolio held by Mr. Bommai in the previous government.
Anand Singh retained Ecology and Environment and received additional Tourism, which was held by C.P. Yogeshwar. Mr. Yogeshwar, who campaigned removal of Mr. Yediyurappa, dropped from the Cabinet.
Murugesh R. Nirani has been allocated Large and Medium Industries, the portfolio he held in the first BJP government during 2008-2013.
K.C. Narayana Gowda retained Youth Empowerment and Sports and received new seri-culture portfolio. He lost Planning and Statistics.
N. Nagaraju (MTB) has retained Municipal Administration, and received additional Small Scale Industries, and public sector industries.
Shankar B. Patil Munekoppa, another first time minister, has been allocated Handloom and Textile Development, Sugarcane Development.
N. Muniratna, first time minister, has been allocated Horticulture, Planning, Programme Implementation and Statistics.
Hours after allocation of portfolios, some ministers have reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction over allocation of portfolios to them.
