Bengaluru: Ten days after expanding his cabinet, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday allocated portfolios to the newly inducted Ministers, while effecting changes in the departments assigned to a couple of Ministers who assumed office earlier.
B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan has been given the Housing portfolio, while Lakshman Savadi is the minister for Co-operation. Rudrappa Manappa Lamani, who was Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly until recently, is now the Minister for Sugar and Textiles.
Portfolios of two Ministers, who were unhappy with what was assigned to them, have been changed. Ramalinga Reddy has been shifted from the Major Irrigation Department to the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department; while K H Muniyappa has been moved from Food and Civil Supplies to the Social Welfare Department.
Health Minister U T Khader has been given additional charge of Minority Welfare, Haj & Wakf;
Shivaraj Tangadagi has been given Backward Classes Welfare and Kannada and Culture; T Raghumurthy - ST Welfare; Ajay Singh - Minor Irrigation & Science and Technology; Cheluvarayaswamy - Major and Medium Irrigation; Madhu Bangarappa - Primary and Secondary Education; Basavaraj Raya Reddy - Higher Education; Shivalinge Gowda - Excise.
Puttaranga Shetty is Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister; Vijayananda Kashappanavar - Small Scale Industries, Public Enterprises; Santosh Lad - Labour and Employment; K.S.Basvanthappa - Muzrai, Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water; S S Mallikarjun - Mines and Geology, Horticulture; Rizwan Arshad - Food and Civil Supply, Consumer Affairs; Narendra Swamy - Agriculture; H.C. Balakrishna - Municipal Administration; and B Nagendra - Planning and Statistics.
There is no woman minister in the Shivakumar-led cabinet. Two months after assuming charge as the Chief Minister, Shivakumar expanded his Cabinet on August 3, by inducting 19 ministers, bringing the total strength to 33. One berth remains vacant.
The portfolio allocation happened a day ahead of the Monsoon session of the state legislature.