Punjab: 5 MLAs joined Bhagwant Mann cabinet for the first time

Punjab: The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government today inducted five new MLAs into the Cabinet by dropping four sitting ministers here midway through its five-year term. Governor Gulab Chand Kataria administered the oath of office and secrecy to Hardeep Singh Mundian, Barinder Kumar Goel, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Dr Ravjot Singh and Mohinder Bhagat in the presence of CM Mann at the Punjab Raj Bhawan. The CM also distributed the three key portfolios he held – Housing, Jails and Industries & Commerce – among his ministers. Mann now holds nine portfolios – Personnel, Home Affairs & Justice, General Administration, Vigilance, Cooperation, Legal Affairs, Civil Aviation, Science & Technology and Environment, and Sports & Youth Welfare. The fourth Cabinet reshuffle bears the clear imprint of the AAP central leadership. Sources told The Tribune that the central leadership, led by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, had sought a list of “honest MLAs” from party MPs, some ministers and prominent leaders. Incumbent ministers Chetan Singh Joramajra, Anmol Gagan Mann, Brahm Shankar Jimpa and Balkaur Singh resigned from the cabinet yesterday. Mundian has been given the housing department, while Sond has been given the industries and rural development, investment promotion, tourism and cultural affairs, labour and hospitality departments besides revenue, water supply and sanitation. The jails department has been given to incumbent minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, though rural development charge has been taken back from him. Goyal has been given the Mines and Geology, Water Resources and Land and Water Conservation departments and Dr Ravjot Singh has been given the Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs department. Bhagat, who recently won the Jalandhar West by-election and got a place in the cabinet by CM Mann, has been given the Defence Services Welfare, Freedom Fighters and Horticulture departments.

There has been no change in the portfolios of other incumbent ministers, but Education Minister Harjot Bains has been given additional charge of the important Information and Public Relations department. The Punjab cabinet now has 16 ministers, including CM Mann. Since the cabinet can have a maximum of 18 ministers, two posts are still vacant. By inducting three new ministers from Malwa region and two from Doaba, the AAP government has tried to strike a regional balance. Malwa now has 10 ministers including CM Mann, while Majha has four and Doaba has two ministers. Sangrur district in Malwa has got the highest representation with four ministers, while Muktsar is second with two. However, 12 districts are not represented. The AAP government’s commitment to social engineering is also evident as the Cabinet now has six Dalit and two Hindu ministers. Dr Baljit Kaur is the only woman face after the departure of Anmol Gagan Mann. Before the allocation of portfolios, the 20-minute oath ceremony was attended by most of the sitting ministers, ruling party MLAs, senior bureaucrats and family members of the newly appointed ministers.