New Delhi:
Amidst talk of a Cabinet reshuffle, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel gave hints of his desire to move to another ministry.
"I have attended the Air Traffic Controllers' Day functions on four occasions. That shows I have been here long enough. May be it is time to move on," he said at the function in New Delhi on Wednesday.
His remarks at a global seminar organised by the Air Traffic Controllers Guild came amid speculation that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may undertake a reshuffle of his Council of Ministers soon.
Patel, who has been Minister of State in the Civil Aviation Ministry with independent charge since UPA came to power in 2004, has the reputation of being a reformer and has done some work in the aviation sector.
He belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP which has three Ministers at the Centre with the NCP chief being the Cabinet Minister. Pawar has indicated that he would like to shed one of the two Cabinet portfolios - Agriculture and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs - after his election as ICC chief.
Agatha Sangma is another NCP representative in the government. She is Minister of State in the Rural Development Ministry.