In Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann can expand his cabinet after the budget session. After the dismissal of Dr. Vijay Singla, 8 posts are vacant in the Punjab government’s cabinet. It is expected that the Mann government can include 4 to 5 ministers in his cabinet. Sources say that Aman Arora, Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, and Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar can be included in the cabinet. CM Mann had already said that after assessing the work of the ministers, they can also be changed.
The ministers who have not met the criteria of the government, and their departments are also likely to be reshuffled. At present, there are 9 ministers in the Punjab government apart from Chief Minister Mann. There can be 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the state government’s cabinet. Seven posts were earlier vacant. Another ministerial post fell vacant after Dr Vijay Singla was sacked from the cabinet on charges of corruption. Sources in the Aam Aadmi Party said that the new ministers are to be included in the government, and will be allocated with those portfolios that are held by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The budget session of the Punjab Assembly begins on June 24.
The new ministers who will be appointed are likely to include women MLAs and those who become MLAs for the second consecutive term. The budget session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly is starting on June 24. The Finance Minister will present the budget for the year 2022-23 on June 27. After this, the budget will be discussed in the house. During the session, the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the years 2018-19 and 2019-20 and the Financial and Appropriation Articles for the years 2019-20 and 2020-21 will be presented in the House.
As per sources, the presentation of the budget is on June 27 and Bhagwant Mann can expand his cabinet. Before this, CM Bhagwant Mann will discuss this matter with the National Convener of Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This will be the first budget of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. Significantly, in the elections to the 117-member Punjab Assembly held earlier this year, the Aam Aadmi Party formed the government with a thumping majority in the state by winning 92 seats.