Gujarat CM inducts five parliamentary secretaries

Gandhinagar, 11 November 2014

Gujarat Chief Minister today inducted five parliamentary secretaries. Parliamentary secretaries enjoy the status of deputy minister. However they are not awarded all privileges that ministers enjoy.

Kheralu MLA Bharat Dabhi, Chotila MLA Shamji Chauhan, Kodinar MLA Jethabhai Solanki, Anjar MLA Vasanbhai Ahir and Patan MLA Ranchhodbhai Rabari are inducted as parliamentary secretaries. They took oath in presence of Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

It was believed that Patan MLA Ranchhod Rabari had turned down an offer to become parliamentary secretary, as he thought it was too junior post for him and he was eligible for ministership. However after communicated by party leaders he agreed to take oath. When asked, he told media persons that he was ready to accept any responsibility as per party’s direction, and he never said no to the post for which he took oath today.

In the evening, the Chief Minister allocated following departments to Parliamentary Secretaries:

Vasan Ahir: Welfare of socially and educationally backward class

Ranchhod Desai: Panchayat

Bharatsinhji Dabhi: Water resources

Shamjibhai Chauhan: Food, civil supply and consumer affairs

Jethabhai Solanki: Welfare of schedule caste

In 2009, then Chief Minister Narendra Modi had elevated six MLAs to parliamentary Secretary status. In 2012 he had given parliamentary secretary status to two BJP leaders who were not MLAs by appointing them as full time members of third state finance commission.. They were party leader Yamal Vyas and former standing committee chairman of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) Dinesh Choksi.