New Delhi: The crisis in the fledgling Manmohan Singh Government triggered by refusal by DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) Ministers to take charge of their portfolios today (May 25, 2004) blew over with the Prime Minister deciding to allocate portfolios to them as promised.

DMK Minister Dayanidhi Maran told reporters after a meeting with Singh that the Prime Minister had already communicated to President A P J Abdul Kalam that T R Baalu will be in charge of Surface Transport including Road, Highways and Shipping and Palani Manickam will be Minister of State for Finance.

Maran said that the crisis over the portfolios had been resolved with the timely intervention of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Asked when the DMK Ministers would take charge of their ministries, he said a decision would be taken by the party's high-powered committee which is meeting in Chennai this evening.