Punjab Cabinet: Harjot Singh Bains gets Education, Aman Arora Public Relations

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Chandigarh, July 5

School Education continues to be a tough assignment for ministers in the Punjab Government. After a tenure of just a little more than three months for Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has handed over the department to Harjot Bains after the expansion of the Cabinet yesterday.

The Education Department, particularly schools, proved to be a challenging assignment for all Punjab ministers since the SAD government (2007-17) and the Congress government later.

Several scams related to textbooks, laboratories, scholarships, printing of books have surfaced in the department. Agitation by teachers have been continuing for several years.

Harjot Bains continues to hold charge of the important departments of Mines and Geology, Jails and Water Resources.

Class XII passout, Chetan Singh Jouramajra has been given the charge of the Health and Family Welfare Department, besides Medical Education and Research. The department was earlier headed by Dr Vijay Singla, who was removed after his name cropped up in a corruption case. Jouramajra also gets the Elections Department.

Aman Arora, who has got the ministerial berth after the party faced criticism for ignoring his hard work when the ministers were picked after the formation of the government, has been allotted the Departments of Information and Public Relations, Housing and Urban Development and New and Renewable Energy Sources.

Chief Khalsa Diwan president Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjer gets the Local Government, Parliamentary Affairs, Conservation of Land and Water and Administrative Reforms.

A prominent voice of the party among the masses, Anmol Gagan Maan, gets Departments of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Investment Promotion, Labour, and Removal of Grievances.

New ministers and their portfolios

Aman Arora

• Information and Public Relations
• New and Renewable Energy Resources
• Housing and Urban Development

Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjer

• Local Government
• Parliamentary Affairs
• Conservation of Land and Water
• Administration Reforms

Anmol Gagan Maan

• Tourism and Culture Affairs
• Investment Promotion
• Labour
• Removal of Grievances

Fauja Singh Sarari

• Freedom Fighters
• Defence Services Welfare
• Food Processing
• Horticulture

Chetan Singh Jouramajra

• Health and Family Welfare
• Medical Education and Research
• Elections