VIJAYAWADA: The 25-member Cabinet of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh was sworn in at 11:49 AM on Saturday. Governor ESL Narasimhan administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy to the new ministers in the presence of around 5,000 people at the Secretariat Ground in Velagapudi.
Among the 25 ministers, five are deputy chief ministers, which is a first in the country.
In a fine "balancing act", Jagan allocated deputy Chief Minister posts to five lawmakers belonging to SC, ST, BC, Kapu and minority communities. Over half of the Cabinet also represents these sections.
While seven ministers belong to BC communities, four each from Reddy and Kapu communities are accommodated in the ministry. The CM has also given ministership to one each from Kamma, Vaishya and Kshatriya and minority communities.
Among the ministers, three are women with one among them is Pushpa Srivani, aged 31, the youngest.
Equal representation was given to various geographical regions in the state. Four ministers are from north coastal districts, six from East and West Godavari districts, five from Vijayawada and Guntur, four from Prakasam and Nellore and six are from the four Rayalaseema districts. Portfolios of the ministers have not been announced yet.
Prior to the swearing-in ceremony, Sambangi Venkata China Appalanaidu, MLA from Bobbili in Vizianagaram district, was sworn-in as the pro tem Speaker by the Governor.
Rayachoti MLA G Srikanth Reddy has been made the chief whip of the government, while Kolusu Parthasarathy from Penmalur (Krishna district), Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy from Chandragiri (Chittoor district), Koramutla Srinivasulu from Railway Koduru (Kadapa district), Dadisetty Rama Lingeswara Rao alias Raja from Tuni, Madugula MLA B.Mutyala Naidu have been made whips.
Earlier, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy set foot in the secretariat at Velagapudi. At 8:39 a.m. He sat in his chamber amidst chanting of hymns by priests. He paid tributes to a life-size portrait of his father and former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy before occupying the CM's chair.
He signed three files, the first one pertaining to enhancement of ASHA workers honorarium to Rs 10,000 per month, the second related to the request for permission from the Centre for Amaravati Expressway and the third on the renewal of health insurance for journalists.
Advisor to chief minister Ajay Kallam, chief secretary LV Subrahmanyam, DGP D Gautam Sawang, party leaders V Vijaya Sai Reddy, Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, YV Subba Reddy, Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy were among those who greeted the chief minister on the occasion.
Later, Reddy addressed senior officials in the chief minister’s conference hall and interacted with representatives of the Secretariat Employees' Associations. During the interaction, he announced that 27 per cent interim relief and scrapping of the Contributory Pension Scheme will be examined and a decision will be taken at the Cabinet meeting on June 10. He also promised to regularise contract employees and enhance the pay of contract employees. “All I ask of you is strive for the effective implementation of government schemes. Government is not just me, but you all,” he said.
List of Ministers