Juniors handling Ananth Kumar’s ministries

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar, currently under treatment in a Bengaluru hospital, has assigned works in his ministry to juniors Mansukh L Mandaviya and Rao Indrajit Singh.

An ailing Ananth Kumar, who had gone to the US for treatment, had himself assigned the duties of his ministry to his juniors before his travel, sources said.

Works related to his Parliamentary Affairs Ministry are being handled by Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel.

“All works are being done by the junior ministers in consultation with the Prime Minister’s Office. So, department works were not hampered due
to the absence of the Cabinet minister,” sources said.

“In the Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry, both the junior ministers also holding review meetings regularly on the status of fertilisers for the coming rabi season and details are being updated to the Prime Minister’s Office,” sources said.

Rajnath Singh, who visited Ananth Kumar in the hospital in Bengaluru, is likely to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his health. Modi will take a call on whether to assign his ministry to anyone else, sources said.

Earlier, when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley underwent kidney transplantation, his ministry was handled by Railway Minister Piyush Goel.