BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: When President Ramnath Kovind took to the podium at the Rashtrapati Bhawan to administer oath to refurbished Council of Ministers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Dharmendra Pradhan was the first to be invited.
Elevation of the 48-year-old Rajya Sabha member, who held the Independent charge of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (PNG), to the Cabinet rank was a foregone conclusion. Soon, he was handed the additional charge of the Ministry of Skill Development, a portfolio close to Modi’s heart, which was a reward for Pradhan who had shown that he had the diligence to deliver when entrusted with a challenging task.
Helmed by Pradhan in the last three years, the PNG Ministry ushered in reforms with far-reaching political gains for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Ujjwala Yojana turned out to be one of the successful schemes under which LPG connections have, so far, been provided to over 2.5 crore people across the country.
A key scheme on Modi’s development agenda, it was not only a runaway success with the Indian poor, it also proved a game changer in the UP polls and the party won the hearts of women voters giving them a sure sense of empowerment.
Pradhan earned plaudits for successful implementation of the “Give it UP” campaign as over one crore consumers gave up subsidy on their LPG connections in favour of the poor under the initiative. Announced by PM Modi himself, the surrender of subsidy helped the Government mobilise over `6,000 crore to be ploughed back for welfare of the poor.
In Pradhan’s words, the Cabinet reshuffle will work towards realising PM Modi’s vision of a New India. “We have to create a brand India that will lead the world under the leadership and vision of PM Modi,” he said on Sunday.
His contribution to strengthen Brand India was significant. The PAHAL Scheme, which envisaged Direct Benefit Transfer, was acknowledged as the largest cash transfer programme in the world and even found an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records.
With Skill Development Ministry as his additional responsibility, Pradhan has been given another challenging task of fulfilling the PM’s Skilled India dream. When it was created in 2014 and Rajiv Pratap Rudy was given the charge, the Ministry had an ambitious target of skilling 40.2 crore workers by 2022 but failed well short of expectations.
By entrusting him with two key portfolios, Modi has not only reposed his immense trust in Pradhan but also given a clear message that he will be the face of the party in Odisha ahead of the 2019 elections. For, not only did he deliver as the PNG Minister, Pradhan’s relentless ground work in the State saw an upward surge for BJP in the last panchayat elections making Odisha the party’s next target.