By IANS,
New Delhi: Facing attacks from an aggressive opposition on a range of issues including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government Thursday appointed an additional panel of ministers to better articulate its position.
The additional panel of 11 minsters has been appointed “to counter misinformation that is happening,” an official said.
The panel, set up at the suggestion of the Group of Ministers on Media chaired by Home Minister P Chidambaram, has a mix of youth and experience.
The young ministers include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada, Milind Deora, R. P. N. Singh and M.M. Pallam Raju and Ajay Maken. Others include Rajiv Shukla, Krishna Tirath, D. Purandeshwari and Ashwani Kumar.
The official said that that media has grown in recent years and the government needs to have more leaders to articulate its viewpoint.
It was also felt necessary to have more interaction with the regional media, the official added.
Apart from the 2G spectrum scam and the Commonwealth Games scandal, the opposition has been targeting government on the issue of black money and FDI in retail. It is also bracing to attack the government on the proposed Lokpal bill and to raise the heat on creation of separate state of Telangana.