With the Badrinath MlA Rajendra Singh Bhandari and Vikasnagar MlA Navprabhat being inducted in the State Cabinet, the Chief Minister, Harish Rawat has sought to correct the simmering regional discontent prevailing between Kumaon and Garhwal regions.
Both the newly-appointed Ministers hail from Garhwal. Now, he would claim that his Cabinet is no longer in a state of imbalance with those from Kumaon dominating. Observers say that with the master stroke, he has shut the voluble mouths of the Opposition BJP leaders and the State PCC chief Kishore Upadhyay who have been carping for some time, saying that the Cabinet was far from being a balanced one with Kumaon preponderating over Garhwal.
Sources privy to the CM office said that Bhandari might be given charge of agriculture and agricultural education while Navprabhat might be entrusted with transport and social welfare department. The portfolios would be allocated in a day or two, sources added.
The development was anticipated with the CM giving enough hints of taking in Ministers from the Garhwal region to correct the supposed regional imbalance. He has accordingly acted on his commitment.
The conspicuous absence of Yashpal Arya during the swearing-in raised the eyebrows. However, all other Ministers were present. A small number of MlAs were present as others were all engaged in nursing their respective constituencies with the election approaching.
The Chief Minister, who had earlier managed to get the nod from the party president, Sonia Gandhi, said that as these new Ministers would concentrate on the works allotted to them he would have time to focus on other areas which, he believes, are getting less attention. He further said that all the MlAs are competent to serve the State as Cabinet Ministers. “But we work under certain limitations,” he said.
In his first reaction after being sworn in, Bhandari said that he was happy. “The challenge before me is to adequately meet the expectations of the people. Earlier, I could manage things, but now I have to work hard. I would not be found wanting,” he said. Replying to a question, he admitted that other MlAs are more competent than him to adorn the post. “But the size of the Cabinet must be kept limited,” he said.
While talking to The Pioneer, Navprabhat said that it is true he would get limited time to serve the people. "But I am confident that I would rise to the challenge adequately for the remainder of this Assembly's term," he said. He announced he would not avail himself of the facilities of official residence, police escort and police guards at his private residence. Sources said that he wants to project that he loves to be amidst his people during the year of electioneering, sans the hindrance to be posed by the police guards.
Replying to media query, Ranjit Rawat, advisor to the CM, said that the jargons on Garhwal and Kumaon are useless. “The State Government is focused on developing every part of Uttarakhand. This is what is important,” the close aide to the CM said.