New Delhi: Reshuffled ministers are putting up a brave face and claiming that they are happy with their new portfolios.
New Urban Development Kamal Nath on Thursday said that he had not been downgraded in Wednesday's reshuffle while Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was moved to the Panchayati Raj Ministry from the Heavy Industries portfolio, claimed that he had always been pro-farmer.
Nath, who was earlier the road transport and highways minister, said on Thursday that the new responsibility was not a punishment posting.
"I don't see my posting as punishment posting. There is so much to do," said Nath.
Deshmukh being made the Rural Development Minister during Wednesday's reshuffle raised eyebrows as the Supreme Court had pulled him up in December 2010 for inaction on a complaint by farmers.
The apex court had came down heavily on Deshmukh over his interference in shielding Congress MLA Dilip Kumar Sananda and his family from money lending complaints by poor farmers when he was the chief minister of Maharashtra.
However, MS Gill does not seem happy after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh replaced him with Ajay Maken as Sports and Youth Affairs Minister.
Gill, shunted to the low-profile Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry in the reshuffle on Wednesday, skipped a Cabinet meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. He had been heavily criticised for poor management of the corruption-hit Commonwealth Games.
Another new minister Beni Prasad Verma, who was inducted as Minister of State (Independent Charge) in Steel Ministry, also appears to be unhappy that he has not been made a Cabinet Minister.
Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said that it is not a wise idea to make a lot of changes in portfolios during election time.
"I have full faith in newly elected Cabinet ministers. Their ministries have been changed for new opportunities. We hope they carry out their responsibilities to the full," said Ambika.
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