Punjab Cabinet Expansion Detail: Bhagwant Mann’s government in Punjab has reallocated portfolios to five cabinet ministers. This includes the names of Gurmeet Singh Meet Hair, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Balkar Singh and Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Balkar Singh were sworn in as new ministers on Wednesday (May 31).
Which department to which minister?
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hair
- water resources
- mines and geology
- Science, Technology and Environment
- Sports and Youth Services
- conservation of land and water
Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal
- NRI matters
- administrative reforms
Laljit Singh Bhullar
- transportation
- Rural Development and Panchayat
Balkar Singh
- local government
- parliamentary work
Gurmeet Singh Khudian
- agriculture and farmer welfare
- animal husbandry, fisheries and
- dairy development
- Food Processing
Let us tell you that Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to both the new ministers at the Raj Bhavan. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was also present there during this period. Gurmeet Singh Khudian (60) is the MLA from Lambi seat of Muktsar. In the Punjab assembly elections held in 2022, he defeated five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in his stronghold by a margin of 11,396 votes. Khudiyan, who became an MLA for the first time, left the Congress in 2021 and joined AAP.
Balkar Singh (60) is the MLA from Kartarpur reserved seat in Jalandhar. Singh is a former police officer. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2021 after retiring from the Punjab Police. Singh has also become MLA for the first time.
This is the third cabinet expansion of the 14-month-old Mann-led government in Punjab. Bhagwant Mann The government expanded its first cabinet in July 2022, in which five MLAs of the party were made ministers. In January this year, senior AAP leader and MLA from Patiala Rural Dr. Balbir Singh was made a minister. He was made a minister after the resignation of Fauja Singh Sarari. Inderbir Singh Nijjar had resigned from the post of minister on Tuesday due to personal reasons. Chief Minister Mann had sent his resignation to the governor on Tuesday itself.
There are 16 members including the Chief Minister in the CM Mann-led cabinet. There can be a total of 18 members in the Punjab cabinet. Talking to reporters after taking the oath, Balkar Singh and Khudian thanked Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for giving them the opportunity to serve as ministers.
