Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday stripped cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu of his portfolios. Local government and tourism and cultural affairs departments which were with Sidhu till now were given to other two ministers.

Sidhu, who has entered into a war of words with the CM, was given Department of Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources. The decision was taken hours after the first state cabinet meeting following the Lok Sabha elections.

Sidhu, who was present in Chandigarh, skipped the meeting and instead chose a Facebook Live session with the media instead of attending the meeting. “I cannot be taken for granted… I have been singled out in spite of collective responsibility,” said the former cricketer and TV personality referring to the blame he got for Congress’ poor performance in urban areas.

The CM had earlier hinted action against Sidhu for his comments during the Lok Sabha poll campaign. The latter had accused the former of playing a friendly match with the Badals. After this, Sidhu had accused certain Congress leaders of backstabbing the party in the state.

An official spokesperson said the CM re-jigged the portfolios of most of the ministers to make some vital changes in the key ministries. Barring four ministers, there are some changes in the portfolios of all the ministers as a result of the reallocations which the CM said would help further streamline the government systems and processes and bring more transparency and efficacy into the various departments.

With the Congress government in the state nearing the mid-term mark, Captain Amarinder hoped the exercise would also re-energise his team and bring freshness into the working of the major departments.

The CM, who had hinted at changes in the portfolios of his Council of Ministers after the completion of the poll process, has allocated the crucial Local Government to his senior-most colleague Brahm Mohindra, who was earlier handling health and family welfare, which has now been entrusted to Balbir Singh Sidhu.

Navjot Singh Sidhu’s other previous portfolios of Tourism and Cultural Affairs went to Charanjit Singh Channi, who retains technical education, industrial training & employment generation, with his science and technology portfolio taken over by the CM.

Balbir Sidhu’s portfolio of animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy has been entrusted, under the new scheme of things, to Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, along with higher education.

Bajwa also retains rural development and panchayats. Bajwa has been given Higher Education and Animal Husbandry because the government intends to give greater priority to these sectors.