NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government today inducted a technology-savvy farmer Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as a new junior agriculture minister and moved Krishna Raj to this important ministry, apparently aiming at strengthening the farm sector.
Shekhawat and Raj will replace SS Ahluwalia and Sudharshan Bhagat, who has been moved as Ministers of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation and Tribal Affairs respectively in the major cabinet rejig. Krishna Raj was earlier the minister of state for Women and Child Development, while Shekhawat, an RSS activist in Rajasthan, was a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.
Parshottam Rupala, also a junior agriculture minister at present, will hold the additional charge as minister of state for Panchayati Raj. In total, three junior ministers will be working with cabinet-rank Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh to achieve the goal of doubling farm income and rolling out key farm schemes at the ground level. Shekhawat, Raj and Rupala are from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, respectively. Junior ministers are not only empowered on paper but also delegated important ministerial work.