Modi reviews team’s work, rejig on cards

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today conducted a “comprehensive review” of the working of key ministries and status of schemes and infrastructure projects granted approval by the Cabinet in the past two years.

Though the meeting was a part of a quarterly exercise undertaken by the PM, the one held today assumed significance because of the buzz surrounding the expected Cabinet and party organisation reshuffle, which, sources said, could happen “any time soon now”. 

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According to those present at the meeting, it was a “purely business-like exercise” during which the PM reviewed the performance of all Union ministries. Top bureaucrats made PowerPoint presentations and there was no mention of the reshuffle during the meeting, they said.

Ministers were asked to give vision and outline of the intended projects during 2016-17 and how they would spend their allocated Budget. They were asked to provide the status of schemes sanctioned during the past two years. The PM, they said, asked ministers to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reached the common man. He said the schemes mentioned in the election manifesto should be implemented properly to ensure that the Opposition did not get any opportunity to accuse the government of falling short on promises.

BJP leaders in the know of developments, however, said the reshuffle was on the cards and “significant” changes could be expected in the party and the government where “performers will be rewarded”. Speculations that changes are now imminent have been doing the rounds since yesterday when the PM and BJP chief Amit Shah met for more than five hours. The buzz is that the portfolios of some senior ministers may be changed. “Performers” like ministers of state Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan and Sanjeev Balyan can be promoted while some “non-performers” can be dropped.