After 'typo' rectified, sulking Maha minister takes charge

Five days after his induction into the Maharashtra cabinet, Congress minister and ex-Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar took charge of his ministry here on Friday.

Wadettiwar had been sulking for the past few days as he was allegedly deprived of important portfolios befitting his stature and given low-profile departments, creating jitters in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Now, he will handle the big department, Relief & Rehabilitation besides his other portfolios, after a "typing error" was corrected on Friday.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had clarified on Thursday that the R&R was mentioned as Earthquake Rehabilitation owing to a printing error and hence the confusion was created.

"I was not unhappy with the party leadership. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called me up today and said the typo would be rectified in the list of portfolios," Wadettiwar said after taking charge in Mantralaya.

To a query whether he had skipped the brief assembly session on Wednesday on this count, Wadettiwar said that he was absent on account of certain family commitments.

Besides R&R, Wadettiwar will handle the OBCs and all other deprived communities department, considered a critical constituency in the current political scenario.IANS