Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) With the usual room not allotted for his ministry in the Parliament House even after three weeks of the cabinet reshuffle, new Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi has been meeting visitors in the corridors. The Congress downplayed the issue calling it “logistic difficulties”.

Among the minister’s visitors Tuesday was former railway minister Lalu Prasad, whom Trivedi met outside Room No.6, the room awaited by Trivedi.

The room, used by the ministry for several years, has been vacated, but not so far allotted to Trivedi despite his complaining to Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.K. Bansal and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also Leader of the Lok Sabha, sources in the ministry said.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), Lalu Yadavji wanted to meet me. So he said that I will come to the Rail Bhawan. I said no, you are a senior person, it does not look nice for you to come here,” Trivedi told reporters at the parliament house.

“I will come with my officers and we will meet in Room No.6. But when I came here yesterday there was a problem - my name plate was removed. We put it again, but when I came here today (Wednesday), my name plate had again been removed,” Trivedi added.

The Congress, however, downplayed the issue saying it was “logistic difficulties”.

“The issue should not be exaggerated, these are logistic difficulties,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

“These are procedures, it he has not got his room till now, he will get it,” he said.

Trivedi meanwhile said “I can even sit on a sack… it is the question of honourable MPs, where are they going to sit? Work cannot wait for the want of a chair or a bench or a paper”.

Railway ministry sources said Trivedi was likely to be allotted Room No.6 by Thursday.