Even as Karnataka is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday re-allocated the health and family welfare portfolio to Dr K. Sudhakar, the medical education minister, for better coordination between the two crucial departments. B. Sriramulu, who previously held the health portfolio, has been allocated the social welfare department.
The merger of the two departments is hoped to bring better control over the pandemic, as Sudhakar is a medical doctor and has been heading the state’s COVID-19 team framing policies, guidelines, protocols and managing the war-room as well. Sriramulu headed the COVID taskforce and toured the state to streamline the resources at the treating hospitals, but the lack of coordination between the two ministers had become apparent. The contradictory statements of the ministers was a cause of embarrassment to the government on several occasions.
The opposition parties have been alleging rampant corruption in the procurement of COVID-19 related medical equipment and the rift between the ministers has only made it worse for the government and the party.
“The two departments functioned as one till 2013, when it was bifurcated. We felt the need to merge the two. I consider this a huge responsibility as we are going through challenging times due to the pandemic. I hope to upgrade our public healthcare system just like Kerala, which has excelled on that count,” said Dr Sudhakar, soon after his elevation.
In February this year, when Yediyurappa expanded his cabinet, Molkalmuru MLA Sriramulu, a popular Valmiki leader of the BJP, was denied the deputy chief minister’s post. He was allocated the health portfolio when he had sought the social welfare department.
Chikballapur MLA Dr Sudhakar, one of the rebel Congress MLAs, who had jumped ship to the BJP last year, was inducted into the Yediyurappa cabinet and allocated the medical education portfolio.
The cabinet expansion had led to discontent among the party loyalists who felt sidelined after the CM chose to accommodate the rebel MLAs. The bifurcation of the portfolios with overlapping issues became a trigger for the power tussle within the party.
The CM has reallocated the social welfare department, which was assigned to deputy chief minister and PWD minister Govind Karjol.
Sriramulu had initially sought the social welfare portfolio. But now, he is unhappy with losing the health portfolio as the timing of the re-allocation, he feels, gives a wrong impression that he is a poor performer.
Like many senior leaders, Sriramulu too anticipated that the reshuffle would take place during the next cabinet expansion. The CM has also taken back the backward class welfare department from Sriramulu.
The Yediyurappa cabinet currently has 28 ministers, with six vacancies. While there is a long list of contenders for the six berths, the cabinet expansion has been put off owing to the upcoming bypolls to Sira and RR Nagar assembly seats.