Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday assigned portfolios to his ministers, giving plum departments to his two deputies and new faces to the cabinet.
The Chief Minister will hold the portfolios of personnel, vigilance, general administration, justice, legal and legislative affairs, information and public relations, environment, mining and geology , civil aviation, excise duties, investment promotion, hotels, electricity and tourism and cultural affairs. The portfolio, if any, not assigned to one of the ministers will also devolve to the Chief Minister.
Also Read: Punjab Cabinet Passes Resolution Calling for the Repeal of Central 3 Agricultural Laws
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa landed at the Home Office in addition to the cooperation and prisons he held during Capt Amarinder Singh’s government. Randhawa, who remained critical of Amarinder’s handling of sensitive cases of sacrilege and police dismissal, reportedly sought out reception and vigilance services. While the Deputy CM has been handed over to the house, vigilance will remain on the side of the Chief Minister. In the previous government, Capt Amarinder was responsible for both departments.
OP Soni, the other deputy CM, received health care and family protection instead of the medical education he had previously. He will also be responsible for social defense services and freedom fighters.
Channi had expanded his cabinet on Sunday, inducting six new faces and bringing back a former minister. He also let go of five ministers from Capt Amarinder Singh’s former cabinet.
Rana Gurjit gets technical training, Randeep Nabha agriculture
Among the new faces Channi inducted into his cabinet, returning Rana Gurjit Singh was awarded technical education and industrial training, job creation and training, horticulture and conservation soil and water. Channi was Minister of Technical Education and Industrial Training in the previous government.
Randeep Singh Nabha, whose name was added to the ministerial list at the last minute, is the new Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare and Agri-Food. Under the previous government, agriculture was the responsibility of the chief minister
Sports, Education and NRI Business with Pargat
Pargat Singh, a confidant of the President of the Punjab Congress, Navjot Singh Sidhu, has a strong portfolio with school education, higher education, sports and youth services and NRI affairs.
Another new member, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, was appointed Minister of Transport, while Raj Kumar Verka was entrusted with Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, New and Renewable Energy Sources and Departments of medical education and research.
Sangat Singh Gilzian is the new Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Labor, while Gurkirat Singh Kotli has been appointed Minister of Industry and Trade, Information Technology and Science and Technology.
Brahm Mohindra and Manpreet Badal keep their wallets
Most of the eight former ministers, including Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbhinder Singh Sarkaria and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who were retained from the previous government, were given their previous portfolios.
However, Vijay Inder Singla will continue to be the minister in charge of public works, but school education has been removed from his portfolio.
Aruna Chaudhary, who was in charge of social security, women’s and children’s development, was entrusted with income, rehabilitation and disaster management. Razia Sultana is the new Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, with the addition of water supply and sanitation.
Channi team: Portfolio overview
Charanjit Singh Channi, Chief Minister: Personnel, vigilance, general administration, justice, legal and legislative affairs, information and public relations, environment, mines and geology, civil aviation, excise duties, investment promotion, hospitality, electricity and tourism and cultural affairs
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Deputy CM: Home Affairs, Cooperation and Prisons
Om Parkash Soni: deputy CM, health and family protection, defense services, social protection and freedom fighters
Brahm Mohindra: Local government, parliamentary affairs, elections and withdrawal of grievances
Manpreet Singh Badal: Finance, Taxation, Governance Reforms, Program Planning and Implementation
Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa: Rural Development and Panchayats, Livestock, Fisheries and Dairy Development
Aruna Chaudhary: Revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management
Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria: Water Resources and Housing and Urban Development
Rana Gurjit Singh: Technical education and industrial training, job creation and training, horticulture and soil and water conservation
Razia Sultana: Water supply and sanitation, social security, development of women and children and printing and stationery
Vijay Inder Singla: Public works and administrative reforms
Bharat Bhushan Ashu: Food, civilian supplies and consumption
Randeep Singh Nabha: Agriculture and Farmer Welfare and Food Processing
Raj Kumar Verka: Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, New and Renewable Energy Sources, and Medical Education and Research
Sangat Singh Gilzian: Forests, Wildlife and Workforce
Pargat Singh: School education, higher education, sports and youth services and NRI affairs
Amarinder Singh Raja War: Transport
Gurkirat Singh Kotli: Industries and Commerce, Information Technology and Science and Technology