Telangana Cabinet to be expand after Sankranti?

Here is some good news for the aspiring Ministers in the State Cabinet. The General Administration Department (GAD) has been instructed to be prepared for the Cabinet expansion and make necessary arrangements for the swearing-in ceremony. Though no specific instructions on the date for conducting the swearing-in ceremony has been communicated, indications are that the event will be held any time after Sankranti festival.

“We have no specific instructions with regard to the date of the swearing-in ceremony. But we have been given instructions to make necessary arrangements for the ceremony which will be a simple affair at Raj Bhavan. We are going ahead with the routine arrangements, and also waiting for specific instructions from the higher authorities,” the GAD sources told Telangana Today.

Ever since TRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao swore-in as the Chief Minister of Telangana State for second consecutive term on December 13, speculation is rife over the Cabinet expansion and induction of several popular leaders of TRS into the Cabinet. Only Mohd Mahmood Ali has been inducted into the Cabinet as the Home Minister along with the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister had already stated that he was in no hurry to take up the Cabinet expansion.

As per instructions of the Chief Minister, a team of top officials led by Chief Secretary SK Joshi is busy with reorganisations of different government departments in tune with the Chief Minister’s vision to bring together the departments dealing with similar work. Sources said the list of reorganised departments was ready and is likely to be submitted to the Chief Minister shortly. “The alignment of departments is such that officials of a department will have only one Minister and people need not run to different Ministers on the same subject,” a senior official said.

Meanwhile, TRS sources stated that Chandrashekhar Rao had assured to give appropriate posts to all those who worked hard during the Assembly elections. He had already declared that only hard-working MLAs will be inducted into the State Cabinet for effective administration and progress of the State. He pointed out that people voted to TRS as the Ministers worked hard and delivered effective services to the people.

“The Cabinet expansion will be made only partially and will be expanded further at an appropriate time later. We have been informed that the team will be a mix of both young and old faces,” the party sources said. Though the Panchayat Raj elections are being held in the State, the State Election Commission had already gave green signal for the Cabinet expansion and said it will not violate the Model Code of Conduct.