Punjab CM Badal allots new portfolios, reshuffles depts of others

Chandigarh, June 11: In a major rejig exercise, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today allotted portfolios to three newly-inducted Cabinet ministers and also reshuffled the portfolios of other ministers.

"Among newly-elected Cabinet ministers, Tota Singh has been given the portfolio of Agriculture and NRI Affairs while Daljeet Singh Cheema has been allotted Education portfolio," Advisor to Chief Minister on Media and National Affairs Harcharan Bains said in a release here.

"Sohan Singh Thandal has been given the charge of Jails, Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Archives and Museums and Printing and Stationary," he said. Punjab Governor Shivraj V Patil, on the advise of Badal, today approved the decision, Bains said.

In portfolio reshuffling exercise of existing ministers, the number of portfolios of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has now come down to six as against 13 ministries being handled by him. Punjab CM will now hold Personnel, General Administration, Cooperation, Science Technology and Environment, Vigilance and Civil Aviation, he said.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has been given the charge of Power which was earlier with the Punjab Chief Minister while Sukhbir's Civil Aviation portfolio goes to his father. Deputy CM also has other portfolios including, Home, Governance Reforms, Housing and Urban Development, Excise and Taxation, Investment Promotion and Sports and Youth Services Welfare.

NRI Affairs portfolio which was held by Sukhbir Badal's brother-in-law and Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia now goes to newly-inducted Minister Tota Singh. Majithia also holds other portfolios like Revenue and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management, Information and Public Relations and Non-Conventional Energy.

Cabinet Minister Sikander Singh Malooka, who is holding the Education, Higher Education and Languages ministry, has been given the portfolio of Rural Development and Panchayats.

Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, who is holding the charge of Rural Development and Panchayats, has been allotted Water Supply and Sanitation and Higher Education and Languages ministry.

Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, who was holding PWD portfolio, has been given the ministry of Irrigation while Janmeja Singh Sekhon who is having Irrigation portfolio, has been given PWD, Defence Services Welfare and Removal of Grievances and Welfare of Pensioners. Notably, in 18 council of ministers of SAD-BJP-led government, there is no woman who has been appointed as a minister.

PTI