3 more Gujarat BJP MLAs take oath as Parliamentary Secretary

Gandhinagar: Gujarat government has inducted three more BJP MLA as Parliamentary Secretaries. They are MLAs Hirabhai Solanki, Purnesh Modi and Poonam Makwana.

Purnesh Modi is Surat(West) MLA while Hirabhai Solanki brother of Minister of State Parshottam Solanki is Rajula MLA.

Poonambhai Parmar is MLA from Dasada.

Purnesh Modi has been handed over responsibility of assisting ministers in Health and Family Welfare department. Hira Solanki will assist the minister in Social and Educationally backward class welfare while Poonam Makwana will assist the minister of Labour and Employment.

Earlier 8 other MLAs had taken oath as Parliamentary Secretaries The total number of Parliamentary Secretaries will be 11 with oath taking of 3 more.

According to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, the decision to induct 11 MLAs as Parliamentary Secretary was taken earlier, but due to absence of three MLAs only 8 could take oath on earlier occasion while rest of 3 took oath today.

Parliamentary Secretaries enjoy the status of Deputy Minister in government. As maximum permitted size of cabinet is 15% of total MLAs(182), the Chief Minister in Gujarat can induct maximum 27 MLAs as ministers. Chief Minister Rupani has inducted 25 ministers, keeping two berths open for future induction. BJP has 121 MLAs in 182-member Gujarat assembly. With 25 ministers, 11 Parliamentary Secretaries, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and 3 whip(chief whip, whip and deputy whip) over 41 or one third of BJP MLAs will have facilities and privileges as minister or in match to minister. Parliamentary Secretaries are allocated departments and they assist the minister of same department in their work. They can report directly to Chief Minister.

DeshGujarat