Gujarat CM appoints three more Parliamentary Secretaries

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today appointed three more BJP MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries, taking the tally to eleven.

Purnesh Modi (Surat West), Hirabhai Solanki (Rajula) and Punambhai Makwana (Dasada) took the oath of office today, an official press release said.

Purnesh Modi has been given Health and Family Welfare portfolio, Solanki (who is the brother of Fisheries Minister Purshottam Solanki) the OBC Welfare, while Makwana has been alloted Labour and Employment.

On August 9, Rupani, who took over as the CM last week, had appointed eight MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries: Vasanbhai Ahir, Ranchhodbhai Desai, Bharatsinh Dabhi, Shamji Chauhan, Jethabhai Solanki, Vibhavariben Dave, Jayantibhai Rathva and Babubhai Patel.
 

Parliamentary Secretaries are considered equivalent to deputy ministers and are supposed to help the ministers. They are generally appointed to accommodate those MLAs who can't be made ministers because of the cap on the size of the cabinet.