TAMIL NADU, (India): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet after an assessment that is believed to have found the performance of some ministers unsatisfactory.
The exercise might start soon after the month-long session of the Assembly concludes on Tuesday (Sept 8).
The Vijay-led coalition government in Tamil Nadu assumed office four months ago after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged victorious in its first Assembly election.
Voting for the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly was held on April 23, followed by the counting of votes on May 4.
The 35-member Council of Ministers includes representatives of the government’s alliance partners, IANS reported.
The Congress has been allotted two ministerial berths, while the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League received one each.
As per the IANS report, preparations for the proposed revamp follows a review carried out by the Chief Minister’s advisers, John Arokiasamy and Vishnu Reddy.
In their assessment, they examined how individual ministers administered their departments, conducted meetings with officials, and implemented programmes in their constituencies.
Also, the review considered their participation in Assembly proceedings as well as their dealings with legislators of the ruling party.
The advisers subsequently submitted a report to Vijay, flagging shortcomings in the work of certain members of the Cabinet.
Further, Vijay independently reviewed the findings by consulting departmental secretaries, reports said.
Their feedback is said to have reinforced concerns over the functioning of some ministries and prompted discussions on changes in the Council of Ministers.
As per the indications emerging from government circles, there are possibilities that three TVK ministers, including a woman, could be dropped from the Cabinet.
Also, there are possibilities that the portfolio of one minister belonging to an alliance party may also be changed.
Another ruling-party minister has reportedly asked to be relieved of a major department because of the workload involved.
The request is likely to be considered during the redistribution of portfolios, the report said.
As of now, no official announcement has been made regarding the timing or scale of the exercise. - The Statesman/ANN
