Punjab CM Mann rejigs portfolios, Aman Arora loses housing and urban development, information & public relations
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday reshuffled portfolios of five ministers, with Aman Arora being relieved of housing and urban development and information and public relations charge
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday reshuffled portfolios of five ministers, with Aman Arora being relieved of housing and urban development and information and public relations charge.
A letter in this regard has been sent to governor Banwarilal Purohit for his approval by the chief minister. It is the third reshuffle by the Mann government in less than a year. Arora will now hold charge of four departments ---new and renewal energy resources, printing and stationery, governance reforms and removal of governances and employment generation. While Mann will keep housing and urban development, Chetan Singh Jauramajra has been allocated information and public relations. Jauramajra will also continue to hold charge of defence services welfare, horticulture and freedom fighters department.
Jauramajra was divested of health and medical education department in the previous reshuffle after exit of cabinet minister Fauja Singh Sarari over corruption allegations. A controversial audio of Sarari’s conversation with his aide about trapping few contractors through government officials for money had gone viral.
A two-time MLA from Sunam and a prominent Hindu face of the party, Arora recorded the highest victory margin in the Punjab assembly elections by defeating Congress candidate Jaswinder Dhiman last year. He is considered one of the most articulate ministers in the Mann cabinet. However, when the AAP formed government in the state, he was not part of the cabinet. He became minister in the first expansion of the cabinet in July 2022.
The governance reforms department, now allocated to Arora, was with Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who would continue to hold the charge of water resources, mines and geology, science and technology and sports and youth affairs.
Anmol Gagan Mann has been relieved of removal of grievances. Food processing, earlier with Jauramajra, has now been allocated to transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.
The move to relieve Arora of key portfolios have surprised many in and outside the government as he is the vocal player who defends the AAP government on highly important issues inside and outside the House.
