Chandigarh, May 31 (IANS): The newly-inducted ministers in the Punjab Council of Ministers, Gurmeet Singh Khudian was given the portfolio of Agriculture, while Balkar Singh got Local Bodies on Wednesday.

In a minor reshuffle of portfolios, the Rural Development Department was given to Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.

The Rural Development was earlier with Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal. He now has NRI Affairs and Administrative Reforms Departments.

Khudian has also been allocated Farmers' Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development and Food Processing, while Balkar Singh got Parliamentary Affairs.

Just 14-month-old AAP government made its third Cabinet expansion by inducting two first-time legislators, comprising "giant slayer" Khudian who had defeated Akali patriarch and five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, as ministers, taking their numbers in the Council of Ministers to 16, comprising Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Still there are two vacancies in the Council of Ministers.

The Chief Minister congratulated both the ministers for the new assignment and said they have already been serving the masses with missionary zeal.

He expressed hope the new ministers will continue to serve the people with the same passion and fervour.