Appointment of Ministers

On the eve of expansion of Karnataka cabinet, I have come across a statement made by state party chief on the issue. According to newspaper report, he says, “while awarding (?) the cabinet berths, factors like caste, district, seniority and loyalty to party will be considered.
Firstly, why the appointment of ministers should be viewed an award rather than a responsibility?
Secondly, I searched again and again amongst the considerations listed by Party Chief for factors like ability or suitability for the job. I could not find these included therein.