Portfolios allotted to Punjab ministers; CM Channi keeps Vigilance, Civil Aviation

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday allocated portfolios to his ministers, giving plum departments to his two deputies and fresh faces in the council of ministers.

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, investment promotion, hospitality, power and tourism and cultural affairs. The portfolio, if any, not allotted to any of the ministers will also vest with the chief minister.

Deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has landed the home department in addition to the cooperation and jails held by him during the Capt Amarinder Singh government. Randhawa, who remained critical of Amarinder’s handling of the sensitive sacrilege and police firing cases, was said to be angling for home and vigilance departments. While the deputy CM has been given home, vigilance will remain with the chief minister. In the previous government, Capt Amarinder held the charge of both departments.

OP Soni, the other deputy CM, has been given health and family welfare in place of medical education that he held earlier. He will hold the charge of defence services welfare and freedom fighters in addition.

Channi had expanded his cabinet on Sunday, inducting six fresh faces and bringing back a former minister. He also dropped five ministers from the previous Capt Amarinder Singh cabinet.

Rana Gurjit gets technical education, Randeep Nabha agriculture

Among the fresh faces inducted by Channi in his cabinet, Rana Gurjit Singh, who made a comeback, has been allocated technical education and industrial training, employment generation and training, horticulture and soil and water conservation. Channi was the technical education and industrial training minister in the previous government.

Randeep Singh Nabha, whose name was added the list of ministers at the eleventh hour, is the new agriculture and farmers’ welfare and food processing minister. In the previous government, agriculture was with the chief minister

Sports, education and NRI affairs with Pargat

Pargat Singh, a confidant of Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, has got a heavyweight portfolio with school education, higher education, sports and youth services and NRI affairs.

Another new inductee, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, has been made the transport minister, while Raj Kumar Verka has been given social justice, empowerment and minorities, new and renewable energy sources and medical education and research departments.

Sangat Singh Gilzian is the new forests, wildlife and labour minister, whereas Gurkirat Singh Kotli has been made the industries and commerce, information technology and science and technology minister.

Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Badal retain portfolios

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, have been allocated their earlier portfolios.

However, Vijay Inder Singla will continue to be the minister in-charge of public works, but school education has been taken out of his portfolio.

Aruna Chaudhary, who held the charge of social security, women and child development, has been given revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management. Razia Sultana is the new social security, women and child development minister with water supply and sanitation in addition.

Team Channi: Portfolio snapshot

Charanjit Singh Channi, chief minister: Personnel, vigilance, general administration, justice, legal and legislative affairs, information and public relations, environment, mining and geology, civil aviation, excise, investment promotion, hospitality, power and tourism and cultural affairs

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, deputy CM: Home affairs, cooperation and jails

Om Parkash Soni: deputy CM, health and family welfare, defence services welfare and freedom fighters

Brahm Mohindra: Local government, parliamentary affairs, elections and removal of grievances

Manpreet Singh Badal: Finance, taxation, governance reforms, planning and programme implementation

Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa: Rural development and panchayats, animal husbandry, 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, employment generation and training, horticulture and soil and water conservation

Razia Sultana: Water supply and sanitation, social security, women and child development and printing and stationery

Vijay Inder Singla: Public works and administrative reforms

Bharat Bhushan Ashu: Food, civil supplies and consumer affairs

Randeep Singh Nabha: Agriculture and farmers’ 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 labour

Pargat Singh: School education, higher education, sports and youth services and NRI affairs

Amarinder Singh Raja Warring: Transport

Gurkirat Singh Kotli: Industries and commerce, information technology and science and technology