NEW DELHI, MARCH 20: The Urban Development Ministry has gained an unsavoury reputation following indictments by the Supreme Court and there is an urgent need to undo this damage, the new Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani said today.Jethmalani was referring to the Supreme Court order indicting Sheila Kaul and her deputy P K Thungon -- both ministers in the Narasimha Rao Cabinet -- for misusing the discretionary quota on allotment of houses. The SC had imposed a hefty penalty on Kaul for prima facie breach of public trust.
About the issues to be addressed by his ministry, Jethmalani said that the problem of mushrooming slums in urban areas had become acute over the years.
``For the last 30 years, all the politicians have talked about clearance of slums but these have increased manifolds,'' Jethmalani, one of the leading criminal lawyers in the country, said.
Asked whether he thought it was impossible to clear the slums, the minister said, ``It is not impossible but it requires both will andresolve. I will seriously apply my mind to solve the issue.''
Jethmalani said he was aware of the acute shortage of housing units in metropolitan cities across the country, adding ``it was part of our manifesto to construct 20 lakh houses every year.''
On his assuming charge as minister, Jethmalani said that it was a mixed feeling. ``I have been so intimately associated with law for the last 55 years, it is almost like bidding goodbye to it,'' he explained. The 74-year-old minister added that he would not return to active practice as he had taken to teaching and writing.
Asked whether the tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government this time would be longer than that of last time (the 13-day BJP Government in 1996), Jethmalani said that it would definitely last longer.
``I do not find that kind of anti-BJPism now. Those who indulged in such games are in a state of disunity and active conflict,'' he added.
About building by-laws in the Capital, Jethmalani said that the BJP Government wouldannounce its decision next week on whether house owners should be allowed to construct third floors.
State Ministers -- Their Portfolios
1. Umak Apang -- Tourism
2. Sukhbir Singh Badal -- Industry
3. Bandaru Dattatraya -- Urban Development
4. Ramesh Bains -- Steel and Mines
5. Uma Bharati -- Human Resource Development
6. Dalit Ezhilmalai -- Health & Family Welfare (Independent charge)
7. Maneka Gandhi -- Welfare (Independent Charge)
8. Santosh K Gangwar -- Petroleum and Natural Gas
9. R K Kumar -- Finance (Rev, Banking & Ins), Parliamentary Affairs
10. Babulal Marandi -- Environment and Forests
11. Mukhtar Naqvi -- Information and Broadcasting
12. Ram Naik -- Railways, Parliamentary Affairs
13. Dr A K Patel -- Chemicals and Fertilisers
14. Babagouda Patil -- Rural Development (Independent Charge)
15. Dr Debendra Pradhan -- Surface Transport
16. Kabindra Purkayastha-- Communications
17. Vasundhara Raje -- External Affairs
18. Dilip Ray -- Coal (Independent Charge)
19. Sompal -- Agriculture
20. Satyapal Singh Yadav-- Civil Supplies
21. R Janaarathanan -- Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
