UPA govt's 2nd term off to a start,5 key ministers take charge

New Delhi, May 25 (PTI) The UPA government in India got
down to business in its second term with five of the six key
Cabinet ministers alloted portfolios assuming charge of their
respective offices Monday and setting out their priorities.

P Chidambaram, A K Antony and Sharad Pawar returned to
the Home, Defence and Agriculture ministries they were
in-charge during Manmohan Singh's first term while Pranab
Mukherjee came back to the Finance Ministry, a portfolio he
had held 25 years back in the Indira Gandhi government.

S M Krishna, former chief minister of southern state
Karnataka and ex-Maharashtra governor, assumed office as the
new External Affairs minister after making his Cabinet debut.

All the ministers convened meetings of their top
officials to get a quick update on pressing issues.

Mamata Banerjee, who was given the Railways portfolio,
is in Kolkata and was yet to assume charge. Only six of the 19
Cabinet ministers who took oath along with Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh last Friday have been allocated portfolios.

Dressed in a light grey bandgala suit, Krishna stepped
into his South Block office in the midst of developments like
the Gurudwara clash in Austrian capital Vienna and its violent
fallout in Punjab, North Korea conducting a second nuclear
test and a new Nepal prime minister being sworn in ending
weeks of political uncertainty.

Chidambaram said a 100-day action plan will be
implemented from June 1 and that Naxalism, terrorism and
insurgency in the North-East were the key challenges.
Mukherjee said his top-most priority is to bring the economy
back to high growth path while Antony spoke of ensuring
military preparedness.

Issues relating to the forthcoming Budget were discussed
at the meetings convened by Mukherjee, an official said.

The cyclone 'Aila' which hit West Bengal bringing life to
a halt also engaged the attention of Mukherjee who spoke to
Antony and sought assistance of the Armed Forces to help the
civil administration in rescue operation.

Voicing concern over the nuclear test carried out by
North Korea, Krishna said the act amounts to violation of its
international commitments and that the development could have
"adverse effect" on peace and security in that region.

Krishna also said the government was in touch with
Austrian authorities and closely monitoring the situation
following the killing of a Dera sect leader in a Gurudwara.

The government, he said, was "determined to ensure that
the perpetrators of this completely mindless and wanton act
are brought to justice."

Pawar spoke of fulfilling the Congress' poll promise of
cheap rice and wheat for poor, though he did not commit at
what price these grains would be provided at.

"The government has not taken any decision (on prices).
What I am saying generally we will be able to fulfil this
commitment, " Pawar said asked by reporters about the poll
promise of the Congress of providing a minimum of 25 kg rice
or wheat at Rs 3 per kg to those living below poverty line.

The violence in Punjab was reviewed by Chidambaram who
termed the situation as "not quite normal". Chidambaram said
the Centre has asked the state government to enforce curfew
strictly in all areas where violence broke out.

Antony said "the security scenario around India is
becoming more and more challenging. Developments around us is
a cause of serious concern to us. So, eternal vigilance is a
must from all quarters." PTI TEAM
PMR
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