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Chandigarh, In a significant reshuffle, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has taken away the crucial Power Department from minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and handed it over to Sanjeev Arora, the newly inducted Cabinet colleague.
With this change, ETO will now handle only the Public Works Department (PWD). Arora, who was sworn in as minister last month after resigning his Rajya Sabha seat and winning the Ludhiana West byelection, has been further empowered. He already holds charge of Industry and Commerce, Investment Promotion, and NRI Affairs. A formal notification regarding the reallocation of portfolios was issued on Friday evening after the Punjab Governor, on Monday, approved it on the CM’s advice.
For months, speculation had been rife in government and political circles about a reshuffle in the Mann Cabinet. When Arora was inducted in July following the removal of Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, observers expected wider changes. However, apart from Arora’s entry, no significant reallocations were made at the time.
Friday’s decision now confirms the growing stature of Arora within the Cabinet, as he takes charge of one of the state’s most critical departments — Power — at a time when Punjab is grappling with rising electricity demand, financial stress on PSPCL, and debates over free power subsidies. Meanwhile, the trimming of ETO’s portfolio marks a setback for the minister, who until now oversaw both Power and PWD.
