Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is expected to carry out the first expansion of his cabinet before the Budget Session in June.
As of now, Punjab council of ministers has total 10 members including Chief Minister, and seven Cabinet Ministers and two Ministers of State. Capt Amarinder and his cabinet colleagues, had taken oath on March 16.
Giving enough indications, Capt Amarinder said that the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had given him full freedom in choosing the council of ministers. “And I have identified seniority, experience and regional parity as the main criteria in the selection process,” he said.
Capt Amarinder said that he would ensure that all regions are given due representation in the Cabinet to enable the holistic progress of the state, with no region left out from the development process.
The Cabinet expansion will be undertaken before the presentation of the budget for fiscal 2017-18, said Capt Amarinder, pointing out that the government would only be going in for vote-on-account next week.
The maiden session of the newly-constituted state Assembly is scheduled to commence on Friday.
Capt Amarinder said that experience and professionalism would be given due importance in all government appointments, including that of bureaucrats and other officials.
He said his government had decided to continue with DGP Suresh Arora as he was a professional man, and the Chief Secretary was changed because of his “close proximity” to the previous regime.
Punjab govt to introduce Bill to appoint Parliamentary Secretaries
“Punjab government will soon bring in a legislation for the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries, who would be attached to the various ministers,” he announced.
Reiterating that the recent assembly election was his last, the Chief Minister said that his government would introduce a Bill to appoint Parliamentary Secretaries who could be groomed by the ministers for the future.