Telangana: Irrigation minister Harish Rao set to get I&PR responsibility

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will divest more portfolios to fellow ministers. Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao is likely to be given additional responsibility of the Information and Public Relations department which oversees government publicity.

Highly placed sources said the CM may hand over the portfolio after the Narayankhed byelection results.

The CM had announced the municipal administration and urban development portfolio to his son and minister K.T. Rama Rao in the midst of GHMC election to improve civic amenities in Hyderabad.

He had later given charge of the portfolio to Mr Rama Rao which is considered as a reward for leading party to a thumping win with 99 seats out of 150.

Another loyalist, energy minister G. Jagdish Reddy was given SC Development Cooperation, which the CM had held since the formation of the government in June, 2014.

Mr Reddy was asked to finalise proposals for SC Sub-Plan for 2016-17 Budget and also submit a detailed report on the utilisation of funds earmarked under the Sub-Plan in financial year 2015-16.

Mr Chandrasekhar Rao is keen on spending the funds earmarked for SCs in the Budget for their uplift.

Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had held portfolios of Law and Order, General Administration Department, Scheduled Caste and Minorities Welfare, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Coal, Information and Public Relations and all other portfolios not allotted to anyone else.

“The CM is keen to distribute some of the portfolios held by him barring Law and Order and GAD besides a few others which he wants to monitor personally. He wants to hit the road to oversee implementation of some of his pet projects like 2BHK houses which he plans to take it up on a big scale in Hyderabad city and other districts, Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya and of course, the power sector,” a source close to CM said.

Asked if a Cabinet reshuffle was likely in the near future, especially in the wake of more TD MLAs joining the party, the source replied in the negative.
“Anything can happen with KCR,” he said.

There are 34 departments in the TS government. As per the Constitutional limit in the 120-member Assembly, the CM can have no more than 18 ministers, including himself.

Though he created six Parliamentary secretaries with cabinet rank, the  court struck it down on a petition filed by Congress MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy.