Telangana: New Ministers get portfolios

Hyderabad: The portfolios of the ministers in the new Congress governmentin Telangana were announced on Saturday with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy keeping Municipal Administration, General Administration, Law and Order and all other unallocated portfolios.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has been allocated the Finance and Energy portfolio. Senior leader N Uttam Kumar Reddy was given Irrigation and Civil Supplies portfolios. Another senior leader D Sridhar Babu would look after Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Industries and Commerce in addition to legislative affairs.

Damodar Rajanarasimha, who was the deputy chief minister in the Congress government in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, will handle Health, Medical & Family Welfare. Komatireddy Venkat Reddy will be the Minister for Roads and Buildings, Cinematography, and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy for Revenue and Housing and Information and Public Relations. Ponnam Prabhakar, who has been inducted under the BC category, will handle the portfolios of Transport and BC Welfare. One of the two women Ministers Konda Surekha has been given the Environment and Forests and Endowment portfolio. The Chief Minister’s close associate D Anasuya (Seethakka) will be the Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (including Rural Water Supply), Women and Child Welfare portfolios.

Another old associate of Revanth Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao will be the Minister for Agriculture, Marketing, Co-operation, Handlooms and Textiles while Jupally Krishna Rao will be minister for Prohibition & Excise; Tourism, Culture and Archaeology. It is learnt that six more ministers will be inducted in the cabinet soon after the election of Assembly Speaker. G Prasad Kumar, former minister and a Dalit leader who was elected from Vikarabad filed his nomination for the Speaker’s post.