Jayalalithaa axes 3 ministers

CHENNAI: In a shake-up in her cabinet, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today sacked three ministers and inducted an equal number, all of them first-time MLAs.

Tourism Minister Gokula Indra, Health and Family Welfare Minister V S Vijay and School Education Minister N R Sivapathy were removed from the cabinet.

Governor K Rosaiah dropped the three ministers and appointed the new inductees on the recommendation of the Chief Minister, a Raj Bhavan release here said.

First time MLAs, Government Chief Whip Vaigai Chelvan, K C Veeramani and T P Poonatchi are the new ministers who will be sworn in tomorrow.

This is the eighth reshuffle in the 22-month old Jayalalithaa cabinet.

The reason for the dismissal of the three ministers could not be ascertained.

Vaigai Chelvan will hold the portfolios of School Education, Archaelogy, Sports and Youth Welfare, Tamil Language and Tamil Culture, the release said.

Poonatchi is Minister for Khadi and Village Industries and Veeramani has been entrusted with the portfolio of Health and Family Welfare.

Rosaiah also approved changes in portfolios of some Ministers, the release said.

P Chendur Pandian, Minister for Khadi and Village, has been redesignated as Minister for Tourism.

The portfolios of Law, Courts and Prisons, Personnel and Administrative Reforms and Prevention of Corruption, held by Sivapathi, have been given to Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister K P Munusamy as additional charge, the release added.