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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has addressed concerns surrounding Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal running what was described as a "non-existent" department, clarifying that the state government has now restructured and renamed the department.
Speaking on the issue, Mann said, "We changed its name and created a new department. Earlier it was just for the name, there was no staff or office. Now, it has been created to bring reforms, whether it is in bureaucracy or other areas. We are also looking at merging several departments with similar functions into one department." The controversy stems from a Punjab government Gazette notification issued on February 21, which clarified that the Department of Administrative Reforms, previously allocated to Dhaliwal, does not exist. According to the notification, "In partial modification of Punjab Government Notification No. 2/1/2022-2Cabinet/2230 dated September 23, 2024, regarding allocation of portfolios amongst the Ministers, the Department of Administrative Reforms earlier allotted to Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Cabinet Minister is not in existence as on date." The notification follows the September 2024 Cabinet reshuffle in which CM Mann dropped four ministers and adding five new faces. Dhaliwal was allocated the NRI Affairs and Administrative Reforms portfolios, but now the latter has been scrapped. Opposition leaders were quick to criticise the Punjab government. Congress leader Pargat Singh commented, "This incident itself tells the situation of the state government. This is the limit of insult to any minister by the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. There is nothing left to say about the administration of Punjab." BJP leader Fatehjung Singh Bajwa was also vocal in his criticism, saying, "Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal is one of the most senior leaders of the Cabinet and he was leading a non-existent department, which means no meeting was ever taken. What kind of administrative reforms are being made? People are going abroad through dunki routes and no agent or tout who sent them was ever caught. The biggest industry in Punjab is immigration offices and out of 100, only 10 might have a proper licence. This state government has taken Punjab back by 50 years. Punjab used to stand ahead once and now stands at 14th or 15th because of these 'clowns'." (ANI)
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