Jairam allocates work to junior ministers

He has also given them responsibility of answering questions in Parliament

In Rural Development Ministry, junior ministers need not to grumble about lack of work.

On instructions from the prime minister, Union government, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has allotted important works to two junior ministers of state Pradeep Kumar Jain and Lal Chand Kataria.

As per the work allocation order issued by Ramesh, Jain got Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Rural Livelihood Mission while Kataria will have to handle Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana, National Social Assistance Programme, Integrated Water Shed Management Programme, and Land Record Modernisation.  Ramesh  has also given the responsibility of answering starred questions to juniors ministers in Parliament.

This is rare as the Cabinet minister of the ministry concerned takes the floor in Parliament most of the time.

The work allocation order also says, all files related to their respective departments should be routed through junior ministers only.

While addressing council of ministers recently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked his Cabinet colleagues to utilise the services of junior ministers by giving more responsibility.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Ramesh said “As the prime minister asked us to allot more jobs, I have given more responsibility to ministers of state. I wanted the junior ministers should not feel let down in my Ministry. I wanted they should prove their competence even in answering questions in Parliament, be it during question hour or debate”, he said.

Though Jain has been ministers for while, Kataria is a first timer and both have problem of English language. “I will be present in Parliament when there will be discussion on our ministry. If required I will intervene and reply”, Ramesh added. 

Generally junior ministers complain of neglect as they are asked to do just clearing files of Parliament written answers or mundane subjects like `implementation of Hindi language in the ministry.

Let alone calling junior ministers to any important meetings, they also complain that  even officials neglect them.