Suresh Prabhu given additional charge of Ministry of Civil Aviation

NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry minister Suresh Prabhu will now hold the additional charge of Ministry of Civil Aviation.

"The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed that Suresh Prabhu, Cabinet Minister shall be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in addition to his existing portfolio: Rashtrapati Bhawan," tweeted the President's office on Saturday. 

Earlier this week, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) pulled out from the National Democratic Alliance or NDA government, following which TDP lawmaker Ashok Gajapathi Raju resigned from the post of Civil Aviation Minister. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi temporarily held the portfolio for a day, before announcing Prabhu as the new Civil Aviation Minister.

Along with Raju, TDP lawmaker Y S Chowdary, who held the portfolio of Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, also resigned. 

In 2017, Prabhu was moved out of the crucial railway ministry following a series of train accidents. During a cabinet reshuffle in September last year, he was given the charge of Ministry of Commerce and Industry.