PATNA, A twelve member Cabinet headed by Mr. Satyendra NaTayan Sinha was installed in Bihar on Saturday.
The Governor Mr. Jaganath Pahadia, administered the oath of Office and secrecy to Mr. Sinha and his Cabinet colleagues at a function at Raj Bhavan.
The outgoing PCC (I) Chief, Mr. Tariq Anwar, whose name figured in the list of ministers, was not present at the function. Mr. Sinha after the ceremony said, “I do not know if he was informed about his inclusion in the Cabinet.” The same point was also made by Mr. Bhajan Lal one of the Central observers.
The ministers who took oath were Mr. Lahtan Choudhry, Mr. Ramashraya Prasad Singh, Mr. Ram Jaipal Singh Yadav, Mr. Ramanand Yadav, Mr. Dilkeshwar Ram, Mr. H.Rehman Mr. Krishnanand Jha Mrs. Sushila Kerketta, Mr. Mahavir Paswan, Mr. Ramsharan Singh and Mr. Indranath Bhagat.
Mr. Lathan Chaudhry, Mr. Ramananad Yadav, Mr. Mahavir PaSwan and Mr. Dilkeshwar Ram were members of the Azad ministry.
All the ministers will be of Cabinet rank.
The Cabinet comprises four backwards two Harijans, two tribals, two Muslims and one each from Bhumihar Brahmin and Rajput communities.
The Cabinet has a definite impact of the PCCII chief, Dr. Jagannath Mishra. There are at least three ministers who had his backing. Mr. Rehman has become a minister for the first time. Dr, Mishra described the choice of ministers as “well balanced with representation to all sections.”
Talking to newsmen after the ceremony, Mr. Shinha, who is popularly known as “Chote Saheb” said that all the good decisions of the previous government would continue. He said this when he was asked about the action of Mr. Azad against “cooperation and coal mafias”. He, however, made it clear that he had not used the word “mafia”.
Mr. Sinha who is becoming a minister after 1967 said that he felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.
He said that his Cabinet would be expanded soon to give representation to other regions of the state. He said that he had no plans for a deputy chief minister in Cabinet.
Mr. Tapeshwar Singh, a Congress (I) MP and cooperative boss who was present at the ceremony expressed his happiness over the selection of Mr. Sinha as the Chief Minister. He said that Mr. Azad had to go because “Mr. Azad harassed people in the cooperative movement.
Earlier, Mr. Sinha was “unanimously” elected leader of the Bihar Congress (I) Legislature Party following” orders of Rajiv Gandhi. “We are committed to it”, Dr. Jagannath Mishra said. “Mr. Sinha’s name was proposed by the outgoing chief minister Mr. Bhagwat Jha Azad and seconded by Dr. Mishra, Mr. Sinha was not present when the legislators elected him as their leader. However, Mr. Sinha arrived at the Sadaquat Ashram later, as his flight had been delayed thanked the MLAs and said, “I will work in confidence and cooperation of you all,”.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 24, 1989
