In what will be one of the first orders passed by the Sheila Dikshit Government, 44 boards/committees, have been identified for reconstitution with ruling party MLAs. With an average of three MLAs on each board, most of the 51 Congress MLAs are likely to find themselves on these bodies.

On Friday, two days after the swearing-in of the chief minister and the Cabinet, two orders were passed by the office of the chief secretary, signed by the additional secretary, general administration.

The first order, sent to all the departments in the Delhi government, reads: ``Since all the boards are to be reconstituted, all the heads of department and secretaries are directed to submit details of their boards along with rules and regulations by 4 p.m. on Monday.''

The second order read: ``No board should hold a meeting hereafter. If any meeting has been scheduled, then it should be postponed till the reconstitution of the boards.''

Working through the weekend, officials from all departments prepared a note on the boards and their membership. It was submitted to the government on schedule. After simplifying the inputs, a concise list was available today which talked of the issue on hand -- how many MLAs can be accommodated on each board or committee.

The BJP government too had undertaken a similar exercise to accommodate MLAs who could not be `rewarded' with ministerships.

But, as a senior BJP leader points out, the Congress is moving at an exceptionally fast pace. ``This is what is called organisation. Our government took all five years to make these appointments. By the time some of the MLAs were included in the boards, they were left with only a few months of functioning before the elections,'' says the BJP leader.

The urgency of the exercise is understandable. With Dikshit springing a surprise by including many new faces in her six-member cabinet, a large number of disappointed old-timers are now angrily waiting for their place in the sun.

Apart from board memberships, non-ministerial Congress MLAs will be able to claim the speakership of the House, deputy leadership of the party, the post of chief whip and parliamentary secretary. But that would still leave a chunk of leaders who would declare themselves too senior to accept these positions.

It is important for Dikshit to satisfy these leaders if she is to keep the Delhi unit of the Congress united and loyal to her. As a Congress MLA points out: ``This list is to show the MLAs that they need not worry and they will not be left out.'' As members of these boards and committees, the MLAs will be provided with an office, a vehicle and other perks. The BJP, in an elaborate precedent, had massive bodies like the Flood Control Board with 13 MLAs, Sales Tax Advisory Committee with 16 MLAs, Apex Consultative Committee with 15 MLAs, Delhi Consumer Protection Council with 13 MLAs and the Consultative Committee on G.B. Pant Hospital with 9 MLAs.

But what took the cake was the National Committee to Commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Shri Aurobindo with 16 MLAs. Then there are committees and boards like the Tree Authority, the Wildlife Advisory Board, the Advisory Committee on College of Engineering and the High Power Committee on Co-operatives.

The government will be creating its own House Committee.