Date: 
25.08.2010

MUMBAI: Even as there was a row over a massive hike in the salaries of agitating MPs, nearer home, the cash-strapped Congress-led Democratic Front government was spending well over Rs 12 crore per annum on ministers of state, despite the fact that officially, no work has been allocated to them. According to reports, more than a dozen cabinet members have given verbal instructions to the secretaries of the concerned departments not to submit any file to the ministers of state.

"It's a fact that while the government was spending at least Rs 1 crore on every minister of state, we have absolutely no official work. No files are marked to us. All the 11 ministers of state had taken it up with chief minister Ashok Chavan, but there was no response from him," a minister of state told TOI on Monday.

In November last year, Chavan was sworn in as chief minister, along with 25 cabinet members and 11 ministers of state, while a week after, portfolios were allocated to them. As per rules of business, while portfolios are allocated by the chief minister, it was the responsibility of a cabinet member to allocate work to his minister of state. "After the formation of the government, we were expecting that the cabinet members will distribute work to the ministers of state, but so far, for obvious reasons, no such allocation of work has been done. Despite reminders, since there is no response from Chavan, Congress ministers will meet the AICC general secretary and NCP members will meet Sharad Pawar," he said.

Minister of state Fauziya Khan, who holds eight sensitive portfolios, felt that all the minister of state should be involved in the decision-making process. "We are ministers of state. In my opinion, if proposals pertaining to policy issues are routed through us, then we can also contribute in the decision making process," she said.

An expert in the field of education, Khan is minister of state for general administration, information and public relations, cultural affairs, protocol, school education, women and child welfare, public health and development of minorities. "Work allocated to me by cabinet minister for minorities is shocking. The minister has directed that proposals pertaining to the Sacchar Committee or 15 Point PM's programmes should be submitted directly to the minister. Such an order is humiliating. I will take it up with the chief minister," she said.

Fauziya Khan is among those ministers in the state, who has taken a lead role in drafting new policies. Whether it was school education, women and child welfare or public health, so far, she had several rounds of meetings, but it appears that the political bosses have complete ignored her.

City: 
MUMBAI
Source url: 
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-25/india/28322095_1_junior-ministers-portfolios-congress-ministers
Author: 
TNN
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