Chennai, February 28, 2013- In the eighth reshuffle of her 22-month-old Cabinet, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday sacked three ministers and inducted an equal number- all first-time MLAs.
Gokula Indra(Tourism), V S Vijay (Health and Family Welfare) and N R Sivapathy(School Education) were ministers removed from the cabinet. The reason for the abrupt dismissal of the three ministers was not immediately known.
Governor K Rosaiah dropped the three ministers and appointed the new inductees on the recommendation of the Chief Minister, a Raj Bhavan release said.
First time MLAs, Government Chief Whip Vaigai Chelvan, K C Veeramani and T P Poonatchi are the new ministers who will be sworn in tomorrow. This is the eighth reshuffle in the cabinet after the AIADMK supremo led her party to oust arch rivalsDMK in the Assembly elections in April 2011.
Vaigai Chelvan will hold the portfolios of School Education, Archaelogy, Sports and Youth Welfare, Tamil Language and Tamil Culture, the release said.
Poonatchi is Minister for Khadi and Village Industries and Veeramani has been entrusted with the portfolio of Health and Family Welfare.
Rosaiah also approved changes in portfolios of some Ministers, the release said.
P Chendur Pandian, Minister for Khadi and Village, has been redesignated as Minister for Tourism.
The portfolios of Law, Courts and Prisons, Personnel and Administrative Reforms and Prevention of Corruption, held by Sivapathi, have been given to Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister K P Munusamy as additional charge, the release added.