Prez accepts Maran rsgn, Raja given IT, telecom

New Delhi, May 15: President A P J Abdul Kalam today accepted the resignation of Communications and Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran and allocated the portfolio to another DMK leader A Raja.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold the Environment and Forests portfolio held earlier by Mr Raja, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.

Mr S Regupathy will be Minister of State for Environment and Forests.

The acceptance of Mr Maran's resignation and the change of portfolios necessitated by it have been done on the advice of the Prime Minister, the communique said.

Mr Maran had put in his papers after he fell out of favour with DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in the wake of a Tamil paper, run by his brother, Kalanidhi Maran, carrying a survey report which showed the ousted minister as the most popular central minister from Tamil Nadu.

UNI