Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today inducted nine new members into the Council of Ministers. Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore administered the oath to 11 MLAs as cabinet ministers, including two state ministers Aruna Choudhary and Razia Sultana, who have been elevated as Cabinet ministers.

The portfolios for the minister were announced late in the evening. Five-time MLA O P Soni would hold the charge of school education and freedom fighters department while Randhawa Kangar will be the new power minister. Mohali legislator Balbir Singh Sidhu would hold the portfolios of animal husbandry, dairy and labour. Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi would be in charge of sports and youth affairs.

Vijay Inder Singla has been allotted public works and IT, while Sunder Sham Arora has been given the Industries and commerce. Bharat Bhushan Ashu has been allotted the portfolio of food and civil supplies and consumer affairs while Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria has been given the revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management, and water resources.

Existing minister Aruna Chaudhary has been allotted social security, women and child development, and transport while Razia Sultana has now been handed over higher education, water supply and sanitation departments.

Our correspondent reports that there is resentment among a few MLAs as their names were not considered in cabinet expansion.Two of them have offered their resignations.