Lagatar24 Desk
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has extended a warm welcome to the newly appointed Governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, and expressed his readiness to work in coordination with him. This announcement follows the major gubernatorial appointments made on Saturday night, which saw Kataria replacing Banwarilal Purohit.
President Droupadi Murmu accepted Purohit’s resignation, which he had tendered in February this year, as both the Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of Chandigarh. The transition marks a significant change in the state’s leadership.
Speaking to reporters after flagging off 58 new ambulances, CM Mann shared that he had a conversation with Kataria on Sunday morning. “The president has appointed the new governor. We will welcome the new governor. We will work together,” Mann said, indicating a cooperative future between the state’s administration and the governor’s office. Kataria is set to take his oath on July 31.
While Mann expressed respect for Purohit, he also voiced his dissatisfaction with the former governor’s frequent visits to the border districts, suggesting that these visits created an “atmosphere of conflict.” Mann noted that during his recent two-day visit to Jalandhar, the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police were unable to accompany him as they were with the governor in the border districts. “How could he run a parallel administration?” Mann questioned, clarifying that he had no role in Purohit’s resignation.
Purohit, who visited Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts on Tuesday and Amritsar on Wednesday, held meetings with villagers and officials from police and central agencies during his tenure. These visits were his seventh as governor, highlighting a pattern of active engagement with border areas.
The relationship between Purohit and Mann had previously seen tensions over various issues, including the summoning of Assembly Sessions and the appointment of vice-chancellors for state-run universities. Despite these past conflicts, Mann’s statement suggests a hopeful outlook for a collaborative future with the newly appointed governor, Kataria.
