HYDERABAD: The state government issued a gazette notification allocating portfolios to ministers, immediately after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy submitted a list to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, on Saturday. The chief minister, apart from General Administration and Law and Order, will also hold the Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) portfolio.
Revanth holding the MA&UD portfolio assumes significance as the TPCC chief had earlier opposed the leasing of the Outer Ring Road on a Toll, Operate and Transfer basis for a sum of `7,380 crore to IRB Infrastructure Developers for 30 years. He had levelled serious allegations of corruption against the then MA&UD minister KT Rama Rao and also against top officials. The HMDA had even served legal notices to Revanth, asserting that it acted in a transparent manner and followed the procedure laid down by the National Highways Authority of India. It remains to be seen whether the Congress government will cancel the lease.
Meanwhile, the crucial portfolios of Finance and Revenue have been handed over to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, respectively. D Sridhar Babu, Manthani MLA, will succeed Rama Rao as the IT minister. Besides IT, Sridhar would also hold Industries & Commerce and Legislative Affairs portfolios. As the Congress has only one member in the Council, Sridhar needs to have better floor coordination with other Opposition members in the Council to ensure the passage of Bills, said analysts.
The Cabinet composition also considered the caste equations. There are four ministers from the Reddy community. There are two BCs, two SCs and one each from Brahmin, Velama, Kamma and ST communities. However, it is learnt that a couple of ministers were unhappy with the allocation of portfolios. The chief minister is reportedly working to address their concerns.