Telangana cabinet expansion on Feb 19

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has decided to expand his cabinet on February 19, Tuesday. The swearing-in will take place at 11.30 a.m.

This decision was reportedly conveyed to the Governor ESL Narasimhan by Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday. The Chief Minister called on the Governor on Friday afternoon, though a gubernatorial appointment was sought for morning. Chandrashekhar Rao and Mohammed Mahmood Ali were sworn in in a simple ceremony after the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) returned to power with a thumping majority in the last Assembly elections. Mahmood Ali was subsequently given the Home portfolio.

 

According to the lunar callendar, February 19 is considered to be auspicious because of it



being Marga Shudhha Pournami.

The Chief Minister had strongly advocated for merger of different departments arguing that inter-related departments were bifurcated earlier to increase the number of cabinet berths. On earlier occasions, Chandrashekhar Rao pointed out that while animal husbandry portfolio had a different minister, poultry was with another, though both could be clubbed together. Similarly, while agriculture, marketing and civil supplies portfolios were inter-related, they had different ministers, making decision-making a convoluted process.

Earlier, after taking over as the Chief Minister for the second time, he had asked the Chief Secretary to take up the exercise of clubbing together different departments.