Textiles ministry without a minister

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has inducted as many as 11 new faces in his ministerial team

however, there is a vacancy in the top job at the textiles minister. Anand Sharma the present minister for commerce and industry has been given additional charge of textiles. But that is just a stop gap arrangement till the position is filled by a full time minister. Last week, the erstwhile textiles minister, Dayanidhi Maran facing the 2G scam probe heat had put in papers. The DMK leader had to resign because of a CBI investigation into the controversial Aircel-Maxis where his name has cropped up. In fact, CBI has sought a Delhi Police probe into allegations of coercion and blackmail levelled by former Aircel chief C Sivasankaran against the then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his associates to "force" him to sell his stake in the company to a Malayasia-based group. The agency probing alleged irregularities in the spectrum allocation between 2001-07 has recorded the statement of Sivasankaran where he alleged that he was forced to sell his stake in the company. He claimed that files started moving in the Telecom Ministry only after he sold his controlling stake to Maxis, considered close to Marans, the sources said.

It may be noted that Maran had resigned ahead of a cabinet reshuffle. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was under pressure to drop him to signal a tough stance against a raft of graft cases that have emerged in recent months. However, while politicking continues, the crucial textile ministry is left without a full time minister.