New Delhi, April 29: Sonia Gandhi set tongues wagging by asking ministers belonging to the party to submit report cards on the performance of their ministries.

The Congress president?s directive, at a meeting of the party?s parliamentary affairs committee yesterday, came as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s government is about to complete its first year in office.

Sonia also wanted the ministers to specifically list the policies, programmes and legislative measures initiated by them with reference to the United Progressive Alliance?s common minimum programme.

The report could prove handy for Sonia, the chairperson of the Congress-led coalition at the Centre, to highlight the performance of the Manmohan Singh government on it completing one year in office. The government took over on May 22.

Speculation is rife as the Prime Minister has already initiated an exercise to identify the achievements of the government by asking all the ministers to submit reports.

Singh?s exercise is viewed in the context of celebrating his government completing one year in office, though the UPA leadership is yet to decide on marking the occasion. Sonia, sources said, would call a meeting of the coalition?s co-ordination committee.

However, Congress circles link the party president?s directive to a much talked-about reshuffle of the ministry between the conclusion of the budget session on May 13 and the start of the monsoon session in mid July.

Sonia is also expected to overhaul her team of party office-bearers during this period.

The list of leaders aspiring to join the government has grown over the past few months. Many are hoping that she would create vacancies in the ministry by asking ?non-performing? ministers to make way for new faces. They believe Sonia?s directive could be an exercise to identify non-performers.

The ministry has not been shuffled or expanded since it was formed in May 2004, except for the exit of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren and K. Rehman Khan of the Congress, who became the deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha six months ago.

The Congress has, other than the Prime Minister, 18 cabinet ministers, eight ministers of state (independent charge) and 15 ministers of state in the UPA ministry.

However, some states within the Congress?s sphere of influence ? including Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Uttaranchal ? are still not represented in the Union cabinet.