This Article is From Mar 21, 2022

In Punjab Cabinet, Bhagwant Mann Keeps Home, Harpal Cheema Gets Finance

Harpal Singh Cheema was appointed the finance minister of the state and Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer got the education ministry.

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India News Edited by

There are 18 berths in the cabinet, including the chief minister.

Chandigarh:

Two days after 10 ministers were inducted into the state cabinet, the Punjab government today allocated portfolios to the state's ministers. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has retained the home portfolio. Harpal Singh Cheema was appointed the finance minister of the state and Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer got the education ministry.

Dr Vijay Singla, a dental surgeon, was assigned the health portfolio and Dr Baljit Kaur, an eye surgeon by profession and the lone woman in the cabinet, got the department of Social Security and Development of Women & Children.

Harjot Singh Bains will be the new law and tourism minister and Harbhajan Singh ETO has been allocated the power department. 

Lal Chand Kataruchak was assigned the food and supply portfolio while the rural development and panchayat raj department went to Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.

Laljit Singh Bhullar will be the transport minister and Bram Shanker Jimpa has been allocated water and disaster management. 

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There are 18 berths in the cabinet, including the chief minister.

On March 16, Mr Mann was sworn in as Chief Minister at a mega event in Punjab's Khatkar Kalan, Bhagat Singh's ancestral village. The next day, all newly-elected MLAs took oath as members of the assembly. The legislators were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Protem Speaker Inderbir Singh Nijjar.

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"Sworn-in as MLA in Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The Aam Aadmi Party government will bring a new change in Punjab for which the people have chosen us. Our government will be known as the most honest government of Punjab," Mr Mann had tweeted.

Seven of the 11 newly sworn-in ministers in Punjab have declared criminal cases against themselves, with four of them facing serious charges, poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms said on Monday.

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The ADR said seven ministers (64 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves. Four of them (36 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.

The AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

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In what was earlier being seen as a fierce multi-cornered fight, Congress was dislodged to second place in Punjab, losing over half its vote share, and Akalis in single digits as well. All political heavyweights contesting against AAP lost.

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