PM includes NCP leader Praful Patel in GoM to tackle corruption

NEW DELHI: Senior NCP leader Praful Patel has been included in the Group of Ministers to tackle corruption, a development which assumes significance against the backdrop of recent complaint by the UPA ally that its voice was not being heard in Government functioning.

Patel was nominated in the important GoM by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a few days back, sources told PTI here.

However, he did not attend the first meeting of the GoM held today under its new chairman Defence Minister A K Antony.

Patel's nomination assumes significance as the NCP had last week gone public over its unhappiness with the Government saying that voice of UPA allies was being ignored in the functioning of the Government.

Earlier, NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was also the member of the GoM to tackle corruption but he quit it last year after social activist Anna Hazare's attack on his membership of the anti-corruption panel.

Hazare had said that "A minister like Sharad Pawar, who is known for possessing large amounts of land in Maharashtra, is heading a committee that will draft the Bill."