PM Narendra Modi's Cabinet rejig: Birender Singh must get babus to deliver on time

NEW DELHI: From Gopinath Munde, who would perhaps have been the first BJP CM of Maharashtra but for his untimely death, to a relative lightweight in Birender Singh, the rural development ministry has surely seen a dip in political leadership. But that's the salience of this all-important, high-budget ministry that runs flagship rural welfare programmes. The minister hasn't mattered in view of the top brass's direct control.

Post-Nitin Gadkari, the minister's role may have eroded completely even though the ministry suits Singh's rural background and helps BJP's politics of messaging in Haryana. The initial six months of the Modi government has spelt out clearly that the RD ministry's agenda is "reforms" in MGNREGA and land acquisi tion law, and the running of the new Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). Singh may not have to worry about the challenge because the proposed changes, from reduction in coverage of the job scheme to its increased focus on assets over employment, to the dilution of norms for land acquisition to make it more investor friendly, are all being dictated from the top.

While PM Modi has set the big picture on what he wants, finance minister Arun Jaitley is working out the amendments to the fine print in the Acts. The departmental minister will just be the messenger. SAGY has Modi's imprint, conceived and launched by him personally. In the coming months, he'll keep a hawk's eye on the progress of his pet scheme. As minister, Singh's limited task will be to ensure deadlines are met, and the bureaucracy toes the line. Fast file movement seems to be the mandate of the new rural development minister.