CHENNAI: Governor RN Ravi approved the recommendation to reallocate the departments of Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by ED in a corruption case, to other ministers. The Raj Bhavan issued a press release announcing that the Chief Minister had allotted portfolios to the ministers as per the pre-arranged schedule. The power department was handed over to Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and the excise department to Housing Minister Muthusamy.

The governor is not ready to compromise on the position that Senthil Balaji cannot continue in the cabinet even though he has given permission for the reallocation of departments. The position of the governor is that it is immoral for a person who is in judicial custody in a corruption case to continue as a minister. He also stated that it is not possible for Senthil Balaji to continue as a minister without departments

Meanwhile, after the arrest of Senthil Balaji, it was Chief Minister MK Stalin who took the decision to reallocate the departments he was in charge of. The recommendation that was forwarded to Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Excise Department to Housing Minister Muthiswamy was handed over to the Governor the other day but was not sent back to the Governor. The governor had also rejected the explanation that the departments were being reallocated considering the treatment of Senthil Balaji.