M A I N   N E W S

5 BJP ministers inducted into Punjab Cabinet
Tikshan Sud gets Industry; Chawla loses Health
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 15
The Punjab BJP today came out with a new-look team led by Tikshan Sud who has been allocated the portfolios of Local Bodies and Industry The firebrand Laxmi Kanta Chawla has been divested of the Health portfolio and allotted Social Security and Women and Child Development.

Former Deputy Speaker Satpal Gosain has been given Health and Family Welfare, Surjit Kumar Jiyani Transport, Technical Education and Industrial Training, and Arunesh Shakir Forest and Wildlife Preservation, Labour and Medical Education and Research.

Among the newly appointed Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS’s) KD Bhandari has been allotted the Excise and Taxation Department and attached with the Chief Minister. Amarjit Singh Sahi gets Finance and is attached with Dr Upinderjit Kaur. Dinesh Singh has been allotted Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. He has been attached with Adesh Partap Singh Kairon. Sukhpal Singh Nannu has been allotted Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management and attached with Ajit Singh Kohar. Bishambar Dass has been allotted Forest and Wildlife Preservation and is attached with Shakir.

Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers.There were a few hiccups. Laxmi Kanta Chawla chose to take oath in Sanskrit. The Governor could not find a copy of the oath in the language for some time. Satpal Gosain read out the oath of office in Punjabi and English. The Governor had to ask him to take the oath of secrecy too.

Also present at the oath-taking was former Local Bodies and Industry Minister Manoranjan Kalia who wore a black safari suit.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal earlier administered the oath of office to the CPSs at his residence.