Pb CM meets Guv, 15 Mins likely to take oath today
Chandigarh: As Punjab's newly appointed Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi expands his Cabinet, 15 ministers, including at least 7 new faces, are likely to take oath in the ceremonies to be held in Raj Bhawan on Sunday.
Also, at least five legislators, who were part of the previous Captain Amarinder Singh-led government, are likely to be dropped.
In fact, one of them –Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora –already vacated his official residence on Saturday after learning that he is not part of Channi's Cabinet to be sworn-in on Sunday.
Channi on Saturday met Governor Banwarilal Purohit to submit the names of ministers likely to be inducted into the new Cabinet.
Only on Friday evening, the CM had travelled to Delhi to meet with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for giving final touches to his Cabinet.
After his meeting with Purohit, Channi took to Twitter stating that the swearing-in ceremony would be held on Sunday.
"Met Hon'ble Governor of Punjab Banwarilal Purohit Ji. The oath taking ceremony for the Punjab Cabinet expansion will be held at the Raj Bhawan on 26th Sept at 4:30 PM," he tweeted sharing a photo of the interaction. According to sources, 15 ministers are likely to take oath of office with CM and two deputy CMs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni having already taken the oath.
Sources said that Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Kuljit Nagra and Rana Gurjit Singh are likely to be included in the Cabinet.
The sources further said that it has been decided to retain Vijay Inder Singla, Manpreet Singh Badal, Brahm Mohindra, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Arunu Chaudhary, Razia Sultana and Bharat Bhushan Ashu who were part of Captain Amarinder Singh government.
However, five MLAs –Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Sunder Sham Arora –who were ministers in the Amarinder Singh-led Cabinet are likely to be dropped, the sources said.
Channi on Saturday said that in order to ensure better coordination between the government and people's representatives, he would meet the Ministers, MLAs and other political functionaries every Tuesday in his office from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.
"I will meet Ministers, MLAs and other political office bearers at my office every Tuesday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and a Cabinet meeting will be held every Tuesday at 3:00 pm. I've also directed all the officers not to leave the office till the Cabinet is going on," Channi tweeted on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Arora who vacated his official residence after learning that he was not part of the cabinet, said that he accepts party's decision with all humility.
"I am priviledged to have been able to serve my state as a Cabinet Minister," said Arora extending his best wishes to the newly constituted Cabinet.
"As a worker of the party and an State Industries Minister, I have done my best to safeguard interests of my Hoshiarpur and my people always and would always keep striving to serve my people and state," he added.
