Imphal, July 7: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has accepted a proposal to set up an office of the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) to ?rehabilitate? leaders who were dropped from his ministry. The proposal was made by SPF convener and former art and culture minister, Moirangthem Nara Singh, at today?s meeting of the legislature wings of the SPF partners ? the Congress, the CPI and the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP).
Ibobi Singh convened the meeting at his residence to review the fallout of the ministry downsizing exercise and to pacify the dropped ministers. After the meeting, the chief minister left for Delhi, where he is supposed to attend an AICC meeting on Saturday.
The chief minister is also expected to finalise the reallocation of portfolios in the national capital.
All 31 ministers, barring the chief minister, had quit on Sunday to provide Ibobi Singh room to downsize.
The chief minister accepted 19 resignations and retained 11 ministers, including the lone woman in the council, W. Leima Devi.
A former minister said the chief minister accepted the proposal to set up an office of the coalition to provide the SPF legislators with ?work.? The office would hopefully bridge the gap between the common people and the government, he said.
The chief minister appointed seven of the dropped ministers as chairman of corporations ? all ministerial rank posts. Those who are yet to get any political post would be engaged at the SPF office, sources said.
The SPF has 40 members in the House of 60 MLAs. Before the downsize, five SPF members were without any post.
?As most of us were busy with our work, we could not get our performance or the implementation of the common minimum programme reviewed. The proposed office will function full time and review the performance and progress of the implementation of the common minimum programme. It would also work with the common people for the welfare of the state,? the former minister said.
At today?s meeting, most of the young ministers, who were dropped, expressed ?outrage? at being left out.
However, another former minister said that Ibobi Singh had managed to smoothen the ruffled feathers.
The chief minister reportedly told the infuriated leaders that as all of them could not be retained, some had to make the sacrifice.
He said the list was finalised by AICC president Sonia Gandhi.