SP leader Vinod Kumar Singh, who was dropped as an Uttar Pradesh minister after he allegedly abducted a senior medical officer, was today re-inducted in the government by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in the first expansion of his ministry after coming to power last year.
Among the 12 who were sworn-in were SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury, considered close to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Vinod Kumar Singh alias Pandit Singh, who was dropped from the state government in October last year after his name cropped up in a case of abduction of the Gonda Chief Medical Officer.
The CMO S P Singh was allegedly abducted by the SP leader as he was "unhappy" over the refusal to accomodate his nominees in the list of doctors on contract recruited by the district health department under the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM).
Defending his decision to bring back Vinod Kumar Singh in the government, the Chief Minister said that he was yet to go through the report of the inquiry which had been ordered into the abduction incident.
"It's true that the inquiry report into the entire matter has come. It will be discussed with you...How can I comment without going through the report", Yadav said replying to questions on re-induction of Singh.
Following the expansion, the strength of the UP government has rised to 59.
He also defended Vice Chairman, Ganna Anusandhan Sansthan, K C Pandey whose name figured in cattle smuggling racket in a sting operating by the Superintendent of Police, Gonda. The officer was transferred out of the district yesterday.
To a question on the issue, Yadav said, "Jitna dosh inka bataya ja raha hai utna dosh hai nahi. Rajniti me kabhi kabhi sifarish karni padti hai, ye adhikari aur sarkar ko tai karna hai ki kya karna hai" (He is not that guilty...In politics one have to make recommendations... It is for the officers and the government to decide what has to be done), he said.
Tej Narain Pandey alias Pawan Pandey, a former Lucknow University Students Union office bearer, who won from BJP stronghold of Ayodhya, and was part of 'Team Akhilesh' in the run up to the 2012 Assembly polls, has been given a place in the government as a minister of state.
Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, who won from Amethi seat defeating Congress nominee Amita Singh, and Manoj Kumar Pandey, who was elected from Unchahar Raebareli, were also sworn-in at a function at the Raj Bhawan here.
Nitin Agarwal, son of SP national General Secretary Naresh Agarwal, Yogesh Pratap Singh, Ram Sakal Gurjar, Alok Kumar Shakya, Vijay Bahadur Pal and Ram Murti Verma have also found berths in the state government.
Among the ministers are three brahmins, five from the backward classes, two from the thakur community besides one each from the jat and vaish communities. Of new incumbents, five each belong to east and west UP and two from central UP.
While Rajendra Chowdhury has been given Cabinet rank, Vijay Kumar Mishra has been made minister of state with independent charge while the other 10 are ministers of state.
Besides the Chief Minister, the UP government now has 19 Cabinet ministers, five ministers of state (independent charge) and 33 ministers of state. There is still scope for having one more minister.