Mahajan hints at merger of IT, Communication Ministries

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT 2. The Minister for Information Technology and Communications, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, today gave a broad hint that the move to make him the Minister for both these Ministries was a step towards convergence. ``One of us had to go to a different Ministry,'' he said referring to Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan being moved from Communications to Coal and Mines, while handing out to Mr. Paswan `a good performance' certificate.

The Convergence Bill, already introduced in Parliament, would be given top priority and he hoped the new legislation would be in place by August 15 next year. Taking charge of his new portfolio of Communications, he said he had been expecting the convergence of the two Ministries for some months now.

However, it was being indicated that the merging the two Ministries would be a stupendous task, and it could be several years before it is accomplished. Moreover, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry would also have to be merged with the other two if convergence is to become a reality, and that was not going to happen in a hurry. Mr. Mahajan himself chose to be non- committal about the convergence of Information and Broadcasting Ministry with the other two - perhaps because the portfolio is held by Ms. Sushma Swaraj.

Another view, expressed guardedly by some was that the Prime Minister would have kept in mind the possibility of yet another major Cabinet induction and re-shuffle at a later period. The exercise undertaken yesterday largely involved the BJP Ministers. The allies are waiting their turn.

It cannot be overlooked that Mr. George Fernandes, the Samata Party leader, is waiting to be given a clean certificate by the Venkataswami Commission looking into the Tehelka affair.

Already the National Democratic Alliance leaders let it be known at their last meeting that they would like the Commission to complete its probe as early as possible. Although it was not added that this was because they would like to see the end of the compulsory waiting period imposed on Mr. Fernandes, this was very much the sense of it.

That Mr. Jaswant Singh continues to hold charge of two heavy Ministries - the External Affairs and Defence - is a clear pointer that the Defence Minister's seat was being kept warm for Mr. Fernandes.

The PMK and the Trinamool Congress leaders are also waiting to be accommodated, not withstanding the assertions by some of their leaders that their ``re-entry'' into the NDA was ``unconditional''. Whenever their inductions take place, the Prime Minister will have to find suitable berths for them, and Ms. Banerjee certainly will not settle for just anything. Since she cannot get back her Railways portfolio, now back with Mr. Nitish Kumar of the Samata Party, Communications was being kept with Mr. Mahajan for her, it was suggested. For the `convergence' of Information Technology and Communications could take longer than the framework suggested by Mr. Mahajan.

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