Panneerselvam to handle Jaya's portfolios

Senior AIADMK leader and Finance Minister O Panneerselvam will look after the portfolios hitherto handled by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who is still on respiratory support at the Apollo Hospitals here.

Governor Vidyasagar Rao has allocated the subjects dealt with by Jayalalithaa to Panneerselvam, who is also the minister for personnel and administrative reforms, a Raj Bhavan communique stated on Tuesday.

Accordingly, 65-year-old Panneerselvam will also preside over the Cabinet meetings. “This arrangement has been made as per the advice of the chief minister and will continue till Jayalalithaa resumes her duties,” the communique added.

However, Jayalalithaa, who was admitted to hospital on September 22 following fever and dehydration, will continue to be the chief minister, it pointed out.

Jayalalithaa held the Public, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, General Administration, District Revenue Officers, Police and Home portfolios.

Handling important portfolios is not new to Panneerselvam as he has served twice as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

The first time he was sworn in as chief minister was in September 2001 to March 2002 when the Supreme Court barred Jayalalithaa from holding office. The senior leader was again chosen for the top post on September 2014 when the AIADMK general secretary was convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
 
Jayalalithaa, who is undergoing treatment, is being constantly monitored by intensivists and other medical experts.

 Prof Dr G Khilnani, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS, also had discussions with the expert panel at the Apollo Hospital and concurred with the present line of treatment being given to her.

“Necessary respiratory support, antibiotics, nutrition, supportive therapy and passive physiotherapy are being given to Jayalalithaa,” the hospital’s latest bulletin said.

After Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi visited the hospital to enquire about Jayalalithaa’s health, BJP national president Amit Shah and Union Minister Arun Jaitley are expected to visit her on Wednesday evening, according to party state unit president Tamilisai Soundarajan.

Two arrested
The Tamil Nadu police have arrested two persons for spreading rumours about Jayalalithaa’s health condition on social media.

Besides, the police have also formed a 10-member team which will co-ordinate with the cyber crime cell unit officials to take the list of people who spread fabricated information about the chief minister’s health. “So far, we have registered about 40 such cases,” a senior police officer said.