Jagan Reddy inducts 11 new ministers, 5 Dy. CMs appointed

Vijayawada, April 11: Keeping in mind the elections to the state Assembly in 2024, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy reshuffled his ministry. All ministers had resigned three days back to ease the process. Reddy included 11 new ministers, retaining 14 from the old cabinet. A surprising step was the appointment of 5 Deputy Chief Ministers in the state cabinet.

Later he allocated portfolios for the newly sworn-in Cabinet Ministers on Monday. Reddy inducted five Deputy Chief Ministers — P Rajanna Dora, Budi Mutyala Naidu, Amjad Basha Shaik Bepari, Kottu Satyanarayana and K Narayana Swamy in his new Cabinet just like it was in 2019. Buggana Rajendranath Reddy was once again given Finance while Teneti Vanitha got Home. The full list of Ministers and their portfolios is as follows: The deputy CMs: K Narayana Swamy (Excise); Peedika Rajanna Dora (Tribal Welfare); Budi Mutyala Naidu (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development); Kottu Satyanarayana (Endowments); and Amjad Basha Shaik Bepari (Minorities Welfare). The four women ministers in the Reddy Cabinet: Karamuri V Nageswara Rao will take care of Civil Supplies; Vidadala Rajini will handle Medical Education, Health & Family Welfare; RK Roja will take charge of Tourism, Culture, Youth Advancement; and KV Usha Sricharan will look after Women and Child Welfare. The other ministers are Dharmana Prasada Rao, who got Revenue, Registration, and Stamps; Seediri Appalaraju will handle Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development; while Botsa Sathyanarayanahas got Education. Gudivada Amarnath Kapu has Industries, Investment, and IT; Dadisetti Raja was made in-charge of Road and Buildings; Pinipe Viswaroop got Transport; Ch Venogopalakrishna will take care of Backward Class Welfare, I&PR, and Cinematography. Taneti Vanitha will handle Home and Disaster Management; Jogi Ramesh got Housing; Ambati Rambabu was given Water resources & Irrigation; Merugu Nagarjuna Social Welfare. Kakani Govardhan Reddy got Agriculture, Marketing, and Cooperation; Bugggana Rajendranath Reddy got a handful — Finance & Planning, Commercial Taxes, Skill Development, and Legislative affairs. Gummanuri Jayaram will handle Labour Welfare and Employment; while Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy will handle Power, Forest, Mining & Geology and Environment. Adimulapu Suresh will look after Municipal & Town Planning. Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan administered the oath of office earlier in the day at a function held near the Secretariat in Velgapudi, while the portfolios were allocated in the evening. Jagan Reddy retained 11 members of the previous cabinet, 14 are new. Reddy after becoming the chief minister in May 2019, had said he would reshuffle cabinet after two-and-half years of his tenure. However, due to Covid-19 pandemic, it was delayed. Reddy gave nearly 70 per cent of cabinet berths to Backward Classes, SCs, STs and minorities, picking 17 from the weaker sections in his new team. The state assembly polls are expected in 2024. (UNI)