New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to reshuffle his Cabinet before the winter session of Parliament. He told the editors of major newspapers at a breakfast meeting in New Delhi on Monday that he "would like to reduce the average age of his Cabinet".
Rejecting the perception that there is a disconnect between his government and Congress party, Singh said that his Cabinet was functioning with much greater degree of cohesion than even the first Cabinet headed by Jawaharlal Nehru.
"I am not aware of anything that can be called a disconnect between the Congress Party and the Government. I can't say that I will shut up every colleague in my Cabinet," Singh said.
The Prime Minister also clarified that he was not retiring ending all speculation of him calling it a day.
He also gave backed Union Home Minister P Chidambaram saying he had been doing a good job in handling the Maoist menace. Commenting on the ongoing spat between his environment and industry ministers, he said environment concerns are a priority but industrial development was also important
Singh also reacted to a Supreme Court order on distributing free grain to the poor, saying the courts should not get into policy formulation.
"An estimated 37 per cent of the population lives below poverty line. How can free food be given to such a large number of people," Singh said.
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