Reshuffle: Punjab Cabinet welcomes five new faces

Chandigarh: In a major Cabinet reshuffle on Monday, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann inducted five new ministers.

Among these were Barinder Kumar Goyal, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Ravjot Singh, Hardeep Singh Mundian and Mohinder Bhagat. They were administered the oath of office by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. A rather quiet ceremony at the Punjab Raj Bhavan lasted for 20 minutes was held in the presence of bureaucrats and relatives of the newly-inducted ministers.

The CM also removed his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Onkar Singh earlier in the day. The move comes a day after his ministers tendered their resignations.

The OSD was a close aide of Mann and the reason for his removal is unknown. Meanwhile, it is believed that the newly-inducted ministers were appointed after thorough background check with an aim to appoint ‘honest’ leaders. The talks of reshuffle have been on since the result of Lok Sabha elections had been declared in June. Thus, the total number of ministers in the Punjab Cabinet has risen to16.

Hardeep has been given the portfolio of revenue, rehabilitation & disaster management, water supply & sanitation - housing and urban development, while Mohinder has been given defence services welfare, freedom fighters and horticulture. Barinder got mines and geology, water resources, conservation of land and water. Tarunpreet got tourism & culture affairs, investment promotion.