Guwahati, June 26: The countdown to the downsizing of the Tarun Gogoi ministry in Assam has begun. Fifteen ministers put in their papers today, following a request by the chief minister last night to his ministry to resign en masse before he leaves for New Delhi on Monday. He will finalise his new team in consultation with the Congress high command there.
A source in the chief minister’s office said till late evening 15 ministers had tendered their resignation, some of them by fax. The whole process is likely to be completed before Gogoi leaves for New Delhi by a 4 pm flight on Monday, he added.
The first to quit was public works department minister Sarat Barkotoky at 9.30 am. He was followed by health minister Bhumidhar Barman and transport minister Anjan Dutta.
Sources said Gogoi sought the resignation of his ministerial colleagues soon after a cabinet meeting last night to facilitate constitution of the new team.
The others who had quit by 8.30 pm included minister for minority and char areas development Wajed Ali Choudhury, Misbahul Islam Laskar (in charge of co-operation), Mithias Tudu (revenue), Ismail Hussain (irrigation), Bharat Narah (welfare of plains tribes and backward classes), Dinesh Prasad Gowala (public health engineering) and Pradyut Bordoloi (forest).
The ministers of state who quit hold the charge of panchayat and rural development (Ripun Bora), education (Rupon Singh Ronghang), public health engineering (Sukur Ali Ahmed), finance (Nilamoni Sen Deka) and planning and development (Himanta Biswa Sarma).
Gogoi is scheduled to finalise his new team by next Saturday.
The 36-member ministry will be pruned to 19 in accordance with a recent constitutional amendment, which stipulates that the should not exceed 15 per cent of the total strength of the Assembly.
Meghalaya ready
Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang is ready with the list of 12 ministers for the downsized ministry, but attempts are on to influence New Delhi to exempt the state from the purview of the new law, adds our Shillong correspondent.
Lapang said the matter would be discussed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Assam and Manipur chief ministers are also said to have discussed the likelihood of seeking exemption for the Northeast on special grounds.
As per the new law, Meghalaya has to bring down the size of its ministry from the existing 41 to 12 in a house of 60. The deadline for the formation of the downsized ministry ends on July 6.
Lapang is leaving for Delhi next week where he is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi.
Though he will have with him the list of 12 ministers, he is expected to place the alternative proposal before the central leadership.