Uttaranchal Chief Chief Minister Narain Dutt Tiwari is all set to create another record. He announced today that he was going to extend ministerial rank to 35 of the 40 ruling Congress legislators. At the same time, not wanting to disappoint the remaining five, he has promised to expand his Council of Ministers after taking permission from party high command. The announcement is seen as a move to do away with dissidence. Amid rumours that some disgruntled Congress MLAs were hobnobbing with the BJP, Tiwari on Friday announced the names of 10 party legislators who would be given ministerial rank by appointing them as chairpersons of boards, corporations and other statutory bodies. CM giving Cabinet ranks like sweets, says Opp DEHRA DUN: The opposition BJP in Uttaranchal on Sunday accused Chief Minister Narain Dutt Tiwari of ‘‘distributing’’ chairmanships of government corporations with Cabinet ranks ‘‘like sweets’’ to Congress MLAs in a bid to ward off dissension in the ruling party. ‘‘It seems he is feeling insecure..The Chief Minister is distributing ministerial berths like revaris (sweets) among Congress MLAs to keep the flock together,’’ state BJP president and former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari alleged. NCP state president Suryakant Dhasmana also criticised the move of Tiwari as ‘‘an effort to save his unstable government’’. ‘‘In Delhi, only 10 per cent of MLAs have been given ministerial berths. But in a new state like Uttaranchal, the Congress is heralding a new tradition with cent per cent MLAs being accorded ministerial berths,’’ he alleged. (PTI) Apart from this, Tiwari also lured the lone Nationalist Congress Party MLA Balbir Singh Negi and Independent Gagan Singh Rajbar to the Congress fold, possibly with Cabinet berth as bait. The Uttaranchal Cabinet already had 17 Ministers — 13 with Cabinet rank. After the announcement today, there was upheaval in his rival camp led by Uttaranchal Congress chief Harish Rawat. Last night, Rawat had met the Chief Minister with five MLAs supporting him to plead their case. Not wanting to leave them out, Chief Minister Tiwari also declared that he would ‘‘accommodate’’ the five immediately. After all the machinations, the Congress now commands support of 41 MLAs (including the NCP MLA and the independent). Besides Tiwari and the Uttaranchal Assembly Speaker, there are 16 ministers. Harak Singh Rawat had resigned following the unwed mother scandal. With 15 legislators being assured of ministerial rank by Tiwari, Congress legislator Vijay Pal Singh Sajwan already heads the Disaster Management Committee enjoying the rank of a Minister of state. There are already certain non-legislators who are heading statutory boards like the consumer forum, Minorities Commission, Women’s Commission, enjoying the rank of a minister. If the Chief Minister keeps his promise, there would be more than 50 people enjoying the rank and privileges of a minister in a small state like Uttaranchal. It must be mentioned here that Uttaranchal recently sought Rs 5,700 crore from the 12th Finance Commission to wipe out its deficit. Asked about Congress manifesto’s promise to downsize ministries, Tiwari maintained: ‘‘The grant of status of ministers to legislators would add to little financial burden but benefits to the state would be much more.’’
