10 join Haryana ministry
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 6 — In a surprise move, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today dropped two heavyweight ministers, Mr Brij Mohan Singla and Mr Narbir Singh, and inducted three Cabinet ministers and seven Ministers of State in his Council of Ministers.

Mr Singla and Mr Narbir Singh were the first MLAs to raise the banner of revolt against the former Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, and are credited with his downfall.

That the two ministers were not happy with the portfolios given to them was clear from day one. Mr Singla was given the Industries department minus the Mines. Mr Narbir Singh, who held the Cooperation department in the Bansi Lal Cabinet, was given the Transport department by Mr Chautala. It was widely known that the two had been sulking over what they felt "the denial of what was due to us".

The action against Mr Singla and Mr Narbir Singh was sudden and swift. The Chief Minister did not even ask for their resignations and straightaway recommended their sacking to the Governor. Mr Singla and Mr Narbir Singh were not in town. When contacted Mr Narbir Singh refused to say anything.

Mr Jaswant Singh Narnaund, Mr Jagdish Yadav and Mr Om Prakash Mahajan, Independent MLA from Hisar, were inducted as Cabinet ministers.

Mr Subhash Choudhary, Mrs Kanta Devi, Mr Vinod Kumar Marya, Mr Azad Mohd., Mr Jagdish Nayar, Mr Ram Bhaj and Mr Ram Sarup Rama were sworn in as Ministers of State.

Mr Narinder Sharma, Independent MLA from Pundri, was not present in Raj Bhavan. His name was announced for induction as Minister of State.

Mr Chautala later told newsmen that Mr Sharma could not be contacted in time and, therefore, he could not come from his constituency.

Mr Rama, who could not take the oath in Hindi properly, was advised by the Governor to learn Hindi after he was sworn in. The Governor had a hearty laugh after he advised the minister in public.

While officially no reason was given for the sacking of the two ministers, INLD sources, who did not want to be identified, said the two had been making unreasonable demands on the Chief Minister.

Mr Chautala, who talked to newsmen after the swearing-in ceremony, did not disclose that he had dropped two ministers. It was only when the newsmen reached their offices, they came to know about the sacking of the two ministers. By then Mr Chautala had left for Sirsa.

Mr Chautala said he had requested the Central BJP leaders to allow their state party unit to join his government. The BJP leaders, he said, had promised that a decision would be taken in this regard at the party's National Executive meeting.

Interestingly, none of the MLAs who were inducted in the ministry belonged originally to the INLD. While Mr Narnaund, Mrs Kanta Devi, Mr Marya, Mr Azad Mohd, and Mr Ram Bhaj joined the INLD via the HVP(D) route, Mr Jagdish Yadav, Mr Nayyar, Mr Rama and Mr Subhash Choudhary criticised recently Mr Bansi Lal for his style of functioning and extended their unconditional support to Mr Chautala.

Mr Chautala told newsmen that the four were yet to join the INLD. In response to a question, he said it was for the Speaker to decide if the four had violated the anti-defection law.

The new inducted Cabinet Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, has been given Food and Supplies, while Mr Om Prakash Mahajan has been allocated the portfolio of Health and Ayurveda. The third Cabinet minister, Mr Jagdish Yadav has been made the Transport Minister. The seven Ministers of State — Mr Subhash Chand has been entrusted with Industrial Training and Vocational Education (independent) and PWD (B&R) (attached with the Chief Minister), Mrs Kanta Devi will look after the Environment and Wildlife Preservation (independent), Mr Vinod Kumar has been given Administrative Reforms (independent), Medical Education (independent) and Industries (attached with CM), Mr Azad Mohammad has been given the charge of Development and Panchayat (attached with the CM) and Civil Aviation, Mr Jagdish Nayyar has been given the portfolios of Archives (independent) Architecture (independent) and Health (attached with the Health Minister), Mr Ram Bhaj has been given the charge of Jails (independent) and Agriculture (attached with the CM) and Ram Sarup Rama will be the Minister of Cultural Affairs (independent) and Food and Supplies (attached with the Food and Supplies Minister).

Meanwhile, the President of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has criticised the expansion of the Haryana Cabinet. In a press statement here today Mr Hooda said: "The composition of the present Haryana Cabinet symbolises old wine in new bottle and is full of Aya Rams-Gaya Rams as it comprises of those MLA's or ministers who were enjoying power in the Bansi Lal Government." Ridiculing the opportunism exhibited by the components of the Chautala government, Mr Hooda said the inclusion of Aya Rams and Gaya Rams in the Cabinet by the Chief Minister reflected his shaky position and it appeared that he had to contain the simmering discontentment among the legislators who had announced their so-called unconditional support to his government.

The Pradesh Congress chief said the Chief Minister had showered benefits on his ministers by providing them with mobile phones and doubling the bi-monthly telephone calls. He added that Mr Chautala had put an extra burden on the state exchequer at the cost of the common man by expanding the Cabinet in an attempt to save his government.