Lagatar24 Office

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has warmly welcomed the newly appointed Governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, and expressed his willingness to work with him. The announcement follows the major appointments of governors on Saturday night, with Kataria replacing Banwarilal Purohit.

President Droupadi Murmu accepted Purohit’s resignation, which he had submitted in February this year, as both the governor of Punjab and administrator of Chandigarh. The transition marks a significant change in the leadership of the state.

Speaking to reporters after firing 58 new ambulances, CM Mann said 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, hinting at a cooperative future between the state administration and the governor’s office. Kataria will take oath on July 31.

While Mann expressed respect for Purohit, he also expressed displeasure over 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 the Director General of Police could not accompany him as they were with the governor in the border districts. “How could he run a parallel administration?” Mann wondered, clarifying that he had no role in Purohit’s dismissal.

Purohit, who visited Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts on Tuesday and Amritsar on Wednesday, held meetings with villagers and officials from the police and central agencies during his tenure. The visits were his seventh as governor, highlighting a pattern of active engagement with border areas.

The relationship between Purohit and Mann had previously been strained over several issues, including the convening of Assembly Sessions and the appointment of vice-chancellors for state universities. Despite these past conflicts, Mann’s statement suggests a hopeful outlook for a shared future with the newly appointed governor, Kataria.