Madhya Pradesh: CM Yadav Clips Wings Of 2 Ministers, Divests Key Portfolio Of One, Relieves Other Of THR Charge
The move comes a couple of months after he reviewed performances of all the members in the ministry: Reports
BHOPAL: In a show of assertiveness midway through his government’s tenure, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav has clipped wings of two of his ministers, one of them is a senior cabinet member, by taking away some key charges from them.
Mr. Yadav, in a late-night exercise on Tuesday, divested the key portfolio of animal husbandry and dairy development of minister of state (independent) Lakhan Patel while leaving with him only the insignificant ‘Anand (Happiness)’ department.
Mr. Yadav has restored the animal husbandry and dairy development department to himself, an official notification issued here on Tuesday night said.
The move comes a couple of months after he reviewed performances of all the members in the ministry.
The review report was sent to the Central leadership, sources said on Wednesday.
Significantly, the move also comes in the wake of the state government taking a decision recently to hand over the management of State Cooperative Dairy Federation (which runs Sanchi brands of dairy products) to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
Mr. Patel, who belongs to Other Backward Class (OBC) community, is first time minister and a second-term MLA, representing Patharia Assembly constituency in Damoh district, falling under the poverty-stricken Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.
He has now been left with the portfolio of Happiness, created for the first time during the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government to make a study on the factors causing happiness among the people in different walks of life and implement them to generate a positive environment in the state.
In another significant development, the chief minister transferred the charges of Take-Home Ration (THR) from state panchayat raj department to women and child development department.
The chief minister on Wednesday ordered the transfer of charges of THR from panchayat raj department to the women self-help groups (SHGs), which are monitored by the state women and child development department.
The move has been resented by state rural development and panchayat raj department minister Prallhad Patel who expressed his displeasure over it at the state cabinet meeting, held under the chairmanship of the chief minister, on Wednesday, sources said.
Sources said that the minister strongly protested the move saying that his department has spent crores of rupees to fix things to streamline the THR system which had earlier come under scrutiny by the Madhya Pradesh high court.
The THR is a supplementary nutrition programme run by the government of India.
Through the local Anganwadi Centres, it provides dry, micronutrient- fortified, or energy dense foods to children, aged three months to 36 months, and pregnant or lactating women to fill dietary gaps.
The programme supplies beneficiaries with raw or pre-cooked ingredients that families can easily prepare and consume at home.
