MUMBAI, June 21: Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today announced a MAJOR reshuffle of the Cabinet involving portfolios which were in the news for the past few months.

Significantly, Mahadeo Shivankar, who was recently cleared by the Puranik Committee, probing charges of corruption in the irrigation department, was rewarded with the high-profile finance ministry.

Eknath Khadse, who had been holding the Finance portfolio, was given Irrigation and Command Area Development, held by Shivankar. Both Khadse and Shivankar belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The reshuffle clearly affects the BJP more than the Shiv Sena, with six Ministers of the former having been shifted compared to three of the Sena.While Commerce Minister Suresh Dada Jain (Sena) has been given Housing, Slum Improvement and Urban Land Ceiling, senior Minister Pramod Navalkar (Sena) has been given Commerce. Navalkar retains Cultural Affairs. But, Transport Ministry, which was under him, has gone to Chandrakant Khaire (Sena), who was in charge of Housing Department.

Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the transport department.

Controversial Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shobhatai Phadnavis (BJP) will handle Employment Guarantee Schemes. Her party colleague Haribhau Bagde has been given the Food portfolio.

BJP Minister Prakash Mehta will now be in-charge of state excise, while Jagannath Patil, who was holding the portfolio till now, will handle consumer affairs and tourism.

The changes have come in the wake of controversies and public expression of dissatisfaction by ministers. Mehta had been quite openly complaining about the `insignificant' portfolios of consumer affairs and tourism. Suresh Dada Jain had also gone public about his ``non-existent'' portfolio of Trade and Commerce.

Ganesh Naik, minister for forests and environment, whose growing influence in the Sena was sought to be checked by a recent order banning quarrying in Navi Mumbai, was left untouched, along with Sudhir Joshi, Leeladhar Dake and Babanrao Gholap.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.