Mr. Alphons Kannanthanam, a former Indian Administrative Service Officer ( 1979 batch) from Kerala, popularly known as “Demolition man” has been appointed as the new Union Minister of State for Tourism ( Independent charge) by the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, in place of Dr. Mahesh Sharma, who retained Minister Culture portfolios and given additional charge of Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Mr. K. J. Alphons Kannanthanam was born on August 8, 1953 in Manimala, Kottayam district in Kerala to K.V.Joseph and Brijith Joseph and elected to Kerala Assembly as an Independent candidate with the support of Left Democratic Front lead by CPM from Kanjirappally Constituency from 2006 to 2011. In 2006, he resigned from the IAS and entered politics. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2011 and currently working as BJP National Executive Member.
During his period as Delhi Development Commissioner, he demolished 14310 illegal buildings in Delhi to pave the modern development in the Capital city. After this national media called him as “ Demolition Man” and Time Magazine’s listed him among 100 Young Global Leaders. He was also instrumental to pioneered the literacy movement in India by making Kottayam the first 100% literate town in India in 1989, when he was District Collector there.
He has been appointed Member of Committee constituted by Government of India on 26 Jun 2017 to prepare the final draft of National Education Policy. He played a pivotal role in BJP’s national election campaign in the last Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India has today inducted 4 cabinet ministers and 9 ministers of state in his cabinet. Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman is elevated to Cabinet rank and allotted her the prime portfolios of Union Minister for Defense.
