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HT THIS DAY: August 31, 1956 — Central cabinet reshuffled; Krishnamachari new finance minister
The Commerce and Industry Ministry will be split up into the Ministry of Heavy Industries, to be held as an additional charge by the Home Minister, and the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Industries, which the Minister for Works, Housing and Supply will look after in addition to his present responsibilities
New Delhi- Mr T. T. Krishnamachari will take charge of the Finance Ministry from the Prime Minister, with effect from Saturday.
An official announcement made here today adds that the new Finance Minister will retain charge of the Iron and Steel Ministry as an additional responsibility, but will relinquish charge of the Commerce and Industry Ministry.
As a consequential reshuffle, the Commerce and Industry Ministry will be split up into the Ministry of Heavy Industries, to be held as an additional charge by the Home Minister, and the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Industries, which the Minister for Works, Housing and Supply will look after in addition to his present responsibilities.
Except for the few weeks Mr Nehru has been in charge, this is the first time since independence that the Finance Ministry will be headed by a full-fledged member of the Congress Party. While Mr Deshmukh was an associate member of the Congress Parliamentary Party his two predecessors, Mr Shanmukham Chetty and Dr John Matthai, did not have any party affiliation.
Announcing the distribution of portfolios a Cabinet Secretariat Press note said: Pandit Pant, Minister of Home Affairs, has been appointed to hold charge, in addition, of the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Mr T. T. Krishnamachari, at present Minister of Commerce and Industry and Iron and Steel, will relinquish charge of use Ministry of Commerce and Industry and take charge of the Ministry of Finance from the Prime Minister. He will thus hold charge of the Ministries of Finance and Iron and Steel.
Sardar Swaran Singh, Minister of Works, Housing and Supply, has been appointed to hold charge, in addition, of the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Industries.
Mr D. P. Karmarkar, Minister of Trade and Mr Nityanand Kanungo, Minister of Consumer Industries, will be attached to the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Industries.
Mr M. M. Shah. Minister of Heavy Industries, will be attached to the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
These changes will come into effect from September 1.
PRESIDENTS ORDER
Another Press note issued by the Cabinet Secretariat said: The President has issued the following order regarding the splitting up of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry into (a) the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Industries, and (b) the Ministry of Heavy Industries:-
“In pursuance of Clause 3 of Article 77 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to make the following order with effect from such date as may be appointed in ‘ this behalf by the Prime Minister, namely.
(1) In place of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the following two Ministries shall be constituted:
(a) The Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Industries.
(b) The Ministry of Heavy Industries.
(2) The business of the Government of India, at present transacted in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, shall be allocated between the two Ministries as follows:
(1) Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Industries: (i) All subjects now being dealt with in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the Trade Division. (ii) All subjects now being dealt with in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the Consumer Industries Division.
(II) Ministry of Heavy Industries: All subjects now being dealt with in the Heavy Industries Division of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.”
These changes will come into effect from September 1, 1956.
