NORTH-Preoccupations of Survival

Agriculture was at that time finalising its views on the respective role of the agricultural universities 'and the state departments of agriculture, Mirdha said that the more the extension experts in- NORTH Preoccupations of Survival CONCRETE evidence of the politics of survival and expediency was available through the ministerial changes in the three northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, in the second half of November. The expansion of the Punjab ministry, from 7 to an impressive 17, and clear intinvatinns of further cabinet-rank appointments in due course, were the most significant as well as the most questionable of the changes. The truncated ministerial workloud in Punjab does not warrant such inflation. For years. the United Punjab including Haryana was administered quite well by the late Partap Singh Kairon with a team of just six. Hut with almost every Congress ML A being a ministerial aspirant and bringing pressure on Chief Minister Zail Singh (some even holding out threats of forming breakaway groups if they were not adequately provided tor), the situation became unmanageable. The High Command, therefore, sanctioned an unduly large ministry.