PM's Cabinet reshuffle has proven to be a damp squib: BJP

New Delhi, July 12 (ANI): Stating that the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has failed to reassure the nation once again, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday described the Cabinet reshuffle of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government as a 'damp squib'.

"The Prime Minister's much acclaimed and awaited reshuffle has proven to be a damp squib. It is a futile exercise which inspires none and in no way dispels the gloom shadowing the embattled UPA Government," said BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

"This is a wasted exercise which unreservedly attests that we have a dysfunctional government that is destined to sink. Apparently, the Prime Minister has failed to reassure the nation once again," he added.

The Prime Minister has dropped seven ministers and inducted eight new faces in his Cabinet.

According to Dr. Singh's recommendations, Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi will be the country's new Railway Minister.

Jairam Ramesh, who was Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, has been made Cabinet Minister for Rural Development.

Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was incharge of Rural Development, has been moved to the Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences.

Law Minister Veerappa Moily has been shifted to Corporate Affairs, while Salman Khursheed takes over as the new Law Minister.

V Kishore Chandra Deo, a tribal leader from Andhra Pradesh, will be Cabinet Minister for Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj, while Beni Prasad Verma has been made as the Cabinet Minister for Steel. Verma was earlier Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Steel.

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan and Congress Chief Whip Paban Singh Ghatowar have been inducted as Ministers of State with independent charge.

Natarajan will be Environment and Forests Minister, while Ghatowar has been as the Minister of Development of North Eastern Region.

Trinamool Congress Chief Whip Sudip Bandopadhyaya, Congress leaders Charan Das Mahant, Jitendra Singh, Milind Deora, and Rajiv Shukla have made their debut as Ministers of State in the Cabinet.

Shukla will be minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, while Milind Deora, will be Minister of State for Communications and IT. Sudip Bandopadhyaya gets Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

The ministers who have been dropped from the Cabinet are Dayanidhi Maran, Murli Deora, BK Handique, MS Gill, Kanti Lal Bhuria, A Sai Prathap and Arun S Yadav.

The ministers of Finance, Defence, Home and External Affairs remain unchanged.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at 5.00 p.m. today. (ANI)