CHANDIGARH, MARCH 24 — The Punjab government has redistributed the portfolios previously held by Laljit Singh Bhullar to other cabinet members following his arrest in connection with the suicide of a state official. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann allocated the Transport Department to Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, while NRI Affairs Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh has been given additional charge of the Jails Department.
The reshuffle occurred Tuesday after the Punjab Governor accepted Bhullar’s resignation on Monday evening. Chief Minister Mann stated that his administration maintains a policy of zero tolerance for any form of misconduct. He affirmed that the reassignment of these duties ensures that the investigation into the allegations remains unbiased and uninfluenced by ministerial authority.
The changes were finalized shortly before the Chief Minister’s departure for a four-day visit to Gujarat. By entrusting Harpal Cheema with the transport sector alongside his existing finance and excise roles, the party has signaled its continued reliance on senior leadership. Meanwhile, Dr. Ravjot Singh will now oversee the state’s correctional facilities in addition to his current portfolio.
Bhullar, who represents the Patti constituency, was taken into custody by Punjab Police in Mandi Gobindgarh. The legal action followed a suicide video recorded by Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, an Amritsar-based district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation. In the recording, the official alleged he was facing extreme harassment from the former minister regarding the awarding of warehouse tenders.
