Swearing in of 2 new ministers in Punjab: Nijjar’s department to former DCP Balkar, Khudiyan who defeated Badal, new Agriculture Minister, Dhaliwal’s stature reduced

Governor Banwari Lal Purohit administering the oath of office to Balkar Singh at Raj Bhavan.

The Punjab cabinet has expanded for the fourth time today. Bhagwant Mann has included former DCP Balkar Singh, MLA from Kartarpur and Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, MLA from Lambi, in his cabinet. Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to both the new ministers at the Raj Bhavan. Balkar Singh is the second minister after Brahmashankar Zimpa from the Doaba region.

Balkar Singh has been given the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio along with the Local Government department from Inderbir Singh Nijjar, who resigned. Gurmeet Singh Khudiyan has been given the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development and Food Processing, apart from Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Increasing the responsibility of Sports and Youth Services Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hair, he has also been given the Department of Water-Environment Mining, Science Technology, Land and Water Conservation. The stature of Agriculture and Panchayati Raj Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has been reduced. This department has been taken back from him and given to the Ministry of NRI Affairs and Administrative Reforms.

Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar has been given the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

See the pictures of the swearing in of the new ministers…

Governor administering the oath of office to Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh at Raj Bhavan.

Governor administering the oath of office to longtime MLA Gurmeet Khuddiyan at Raj Bhavan.

Governor administering the oath of office to Balkar Singh.

Minister Inderbir Nijjar resigned a day ago
On the other hand, on Tuesday, Local Government Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar submitted his resignation to Bhagwant Mann citing personal reasons. Which the Chief Minister further sent to the Governor for approval.

After approval, time was taken from the Governor for the oath of the new ministers. According to sources, Nijjar had openly opposed a vigilance probe by the government. After which he had to lose the chair.

Nijjar is the third minister to lose his chair in 15 months after the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. Earlier Dr. Vijay Singla and Fauja Singh Sarari have been removed.

Balkar became a minister, said – will serve
Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh, who came out of the Raj Bhavan after taking oath as a cabinet minister, said that he was serving the people earlier also and will continue to serve the people as a minister. He said that the people of Jalandhar have fully supported the party. He said that the Chief Minister of the state Bhagwant Mann has given him an opportunity to serve and he will live up to his expectations.

Why did Balkar Singh and Khudiyan become ministers?

1. Highest lead got from Kartarpur in Jalandhar by-election
Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh has been awarded for his excellent work in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election. Not only did he get the maximum lead from his area in the by-elections, but he got the reward of messing with Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Majithia had opened a front against Balkar, but Balkar fought strongly.

2. Gurmeet created a record by defeating Prakash Singh Badal
Lambi’s MLA Gurmeet Singh Khuddian got ministerial berth after storming Shiromani Akali Dal’s fort and defeating 5-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. Khuddiyan created history by defeating Shiromani Akali Dal patron and former Chief Minister Badal in his own home constituency, making the impossible possible in the long seat.

Even now the posts of 2 ministers are vacant in the cabinet.
According to the cabinet norms, Punjab can have 18 ministers including the Chief Minister in terms of seats, but at present there are 15 cabinet ministers including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Even now, despite the resignation of Minister Nijjar and the inclusion of 2 ministers in the cabinet, the posts of 2 ministers will remain vacant. The government can fill them after the next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Decreased the stature of Majha and increased Doaba
Majha region had put 16 out of 25 seats in the Aam Aadmi Party’s bag in the assembly elections. According to the same, five ministers were given place in the government. But now, after the resignation of Local Government Minister Indrabir Singh Nijjar, the Hon’ble Government has not made any minister from Majha, but by appointing another minister from Doaba, reduced the stature of Majha and increased that of Doaba.

In the present phase, now four ministers are left from Majha, while in Malwa region, which gives 66 seats out of 69, due to the increase of one minister, now the number of ministers including the Chief Minister has increased from there to 10. Similarly, now Doaba which gave 9 out of 18 seats to the ruling party has got 2 ministers.