Five New Ministers Join Punjab Government Led by CM Bhagwant Mann
In a major reshuffle, five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were sworn in as ministers in the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government on Monday. The new ministers are:
- Tarunpreet Singh Sond
- Barinder Kumar Goyal
- Ravjot Singh
- Hardeep Singh Mundian
- Mohinder Bhagat
They took their oaths at Raj Bhavan. Hardeep Singh Mundian expressed his gratitude to God, his parents, and CM Bhagwant Mann for the opportunity. Ravjot Singh thanked God, Arvind Kejriwal, CM Bhagwant Mann, and the party’s high command, promising to fulfill his responsibilities with honesty. Barinder Kumar Goyal and Tarunpreet Singh Sond also expressed their commitment to serving Punjab.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has reshuffled the portfolios of the Cabinet Ministers. He retained eight ministries, including Home Affairs & Justice, Legal & Legislative Affairs, and Sports & Youth Services. Harpal Singh Cheema will oversee four ministries, including Finance, Planning, and Excise & Taxation. Aman Arora will head five ministries, including New & Renewable Energy Sources and Employment Generation & Training. Dr. Baljit Kaur will lead two ministries, including Social Justice Empowerment & Minorities, while Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal will manage NRI Affairs and Administrative Reforms. Dr. Balbir will take charge of Health & Family Welfare, Medical Education & Research, and Harjot Singh Bains will head Technical Education and Industrial Training, Information & Public Relations, and two other departments. Harbhajan Singh, ETO, will lead the Power and Public Works (B&R) departments.
The newly inducted minister, Barinder Kumar Goyal, will head Mines & Geology, Water Resources, and Conservation of Land and Water. Tarunpreet Singh Sond will lead Tourism & Culture Affairs, Investment Promotion, Labour, Hospitality, Industry and Commerce, and Rural Development & Panchayats. Dr. Ravjot Singh will oversee Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs. Gurmeet Singh Khudian will head the Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, Dairy Development, and Food Processing departments. Mohinder Bhagat will head Defence Services Welfare and two other departments.
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly Elections, the AAP secured a landslide victory, winning 92 seats and sidelining most of its rivals.
Doubts Revealed
Ministers -: Ministers are important people in the government who help make decisions and run different parts of the state or country.
Punjab -: Punjab is a state in northern India, known for its rich culture, history, and agriculture.
Chief Minister -: The Chief Minister, or CM, is the head of the government in a state in India. They are like the captain of a team, making important decisions for the state.
Bhagwant Mann -: Bhagwant Mann is the current Chief Minister of Punjab. He is a leader from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -: The Aam Aadmi Party, or AAP, is a political party in India. ‘Aam Aadmi’ means ‘common man’ in Hindi, and the party focuses on issues that affect everyday people.
MLAs -: MLAs are Members of the Legislative Assembly. They are elected by people to represent them in the state government.
Sworn in -: When someone is ‘sworn in,’ they take an official oath to start their job, promising to do their duties honestly.
Portfolios -: Portfolios are specific areas of responsibility that ministers handle, like education, health, or transportation.
Landslide victory -: A landslide victory means winning by a very large number of votes, showing strong support from the people.
2022 Punjab Assembly Elections -: These were elections held in 2022 to choose the members of the Legislative Assembly in Punjab. The Aam Aadmi Party won most of the seats.