Chandigarh, July 3 — Newly inducted Punjab minister and AAP MLA from Ludhiana West, Sanjeev Arora, has been allocated the portfolios of Industry and NRI Affairs, following his swearing-in ceremony at Punjab Raj Bhawan on Thursday.
The Department of Industry was earlier held by Tarunpreet Singh Sond, who will now retain charge of Rural Development, Labour, and Tourism. The NRI Affairs portfolio was handled by Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who has formally submitted his resignation.
With Dhaliwal stepping down, the Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet now stands at 16 members, two short of the sanctioned strength. Arora’s induction marks the seventh expansion of the Cabinet since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) assumed office over three years ago.
The swearing-in ceremony, presided over by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and conducted by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, lasted just six minutes. Arora took the oath in Punjabi, dressed in AAP’s symbolic yellow kurta-pyjama. The ceremony began and ended with the National Anthem.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with his wife Gurpreet Kaur Mann and several senior ministers and dignitaries, attended the ceremony to welcome Arora into the Cabinet.
With the new portfolios, Arora is expected to play a significant role in shaping industrial policy and managing diaspora relations, both of which are key areas for Punjab’s economic and strategic roadmap.
