With Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh critically ill,Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has been given additional chargeof Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry.
Deshmukh, who is Science and Technology Minister, was givenadditional charge of the Ministry immediately after Virbhadra Singh resigned inthe wake of a Himachal Pradesh court framing corruption charges against him ina 23-year-old case in June, this year.
Highly placed sources said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hasasked Ravi to take care of the Ministry in Parliament.
The decision to give additional charge of the Ministry tothe veteran Congress leader from Kerala came after the condition of Deshmukh, whois admitted in hospital in Chennai for liver-related ailment, became"critical".