Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Oct 12: The chief minister, putting an end to the tug-of-war between state medical education minister K Sudhakar and health minister B Sriramulu has divested Sriramulu of the health portfolio all of a sudden. The department has been given to Dr K Sudhakar additionally.
The social welfare department has been given to Sriramalu, a portfolio he had reportedly requested for. This department was under deputy chief minister Govind Karjol's supervision so far.
Even though he had wanted the social welfare portfolio, it is said that Sriramulu has expressed his resentment at the sudden snatching away of the health department. During the period the state was reeling under coronavirus complications, Sriramulu was often charged with inefficient handling of the situation. Sriramulu was resentful at what he felt was the interference in his department by Sudhakar. Even though Sudhakar had clarified that they share a good rapport, it is said that the health department was taken away from Sriramulu for the reason that these two ministers did not get along very well.
It is said that Sriramu has confessed to some of his close ones that changes should not have been made at a time when coronavirus issue is still haunting the state. He feels that change in the department could have been affected once the pandemic problem eased. He feels that this decision of the chief minister might send a signal to the people of the state that he was inefficient in handling his department.
He also said that when he had sought the social welfare department in the past, it was not given to him. However, now this department has been given to him all of a sudden, which he feels is improper. Sriramulu, it is learnt, plans to take up the issue with the chief minister shortly.
In the past, when Sriramulu sought social welfare department, he was made in-charge of healthi portfolio. Sriramulu was not happy with the department and had requested the chief minister to give some other department. But because coronavirus infection had hit the state hard all of a sudden, he continued in that department. He was compelled then to continue as health minister. However, he now feels that changing the department at a time when the coronavirus issue has been bothering the state would give the populace a wrong signal about his ability. We have to wait and see whether thiis issue snowballs into a major controversy in the days to come.