In a reshuffle of portfolios following the induction of nine new ministers in Punjab Cabinet, five-time MLA O P Soni would hold the charge of school education, while Gurpreet Kangar will be the new power minister.
According to officials, on the advice and recommendation of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore allotted portfolios to the newly inducted ministers tonight.
With the allocation of portfolios, the chief minister was left with 19 departments out of the 42 he was handling. He will retain the departments of Home, Vigilance, Excise and Taxation, among others.
Among the new ministers, Soni has been given the charge of freedom fighters department, besides the school education portfolio, while Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi would be in charge of sports and youth affairs, an official said.
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, the MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, has been assigned the portfolio of cooperation and jails while Gurpreet Singh Kangar has been given the charge of power, new and renewable Energy sources.
Mohali legislator Balbir Singh Sidhu would hold the portfolios of animal husbandry, dairy development and labour.
Sangrur MLA Vijay Inder Singla has been allotted public works and information technology, while Hoshiarpur legislator Sunder Sham Arora has been given the department of industries and commerce.
Ludhiana West MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu has been allotted the portfolio of food and civil supplies and consumer affairs, and Raja Sansi MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria has been given the departments of revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management, and water resources.
Aruna Chaudhary, who was elevated to Cabinet rank, has been allotted social security, women and child development, and transport departments. Earlier she was handling higher education and school education portfolios.
Razia Sulatna, who was also elevated to cabinet rank, has been assigned higher education and water supply and sanitation. Earlier, she was handling PWD (B&R), social security and, development of women and children.
Cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, who was handling rural development and panchayats, has been given another important charge of housing and urban development.
Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal has been allotted governance reforms and programme implementation.
Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been given another portfolio of employment generation, which was being handled by Manpreet Singh Badal.
Navjot Singh Sidhu has been left with local government and tourism and cultural affairs. Earlier, he was also handling archives and museums department.
Senior MLA and cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra who is handling portfolios of Health and Family Welfare, Research and Medical Education and Parliamentary, has also been given the charge of Elections and Removal of Grievances.
There is no change in portfolio of Sadhu Singh Dharamsot who is handling Forests, Printing and Stationery, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.
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