Punjab Minister Ran ‘Non-Existent’ Department

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

Punjab government scraps the “non-existent” Department of Administrative Reforms.
Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal headed the department for 20 months.
The decision to scrap the department was advised by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
BJP criticizes AAP government, calling it the “Kejriwal Model.”
Punjab government also orders the transfer of 21 IPS officers.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

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The Punjab government has scrapped the Department of Administrative Reforms, led by state Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, after realizing it was “non-existent” for 20 months. This move is part of a larger administrative reshuffle by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, which also included the transfer of 21 IPS officers. The Department of Administrative Reforms was a department that existed on paper but not in reality.

A gazette notification, issued by the Punjab Chief Secretary on Friday, stated that the decision to abolish the department came on the advice of Chief Minister Mann. This administrative oversight has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and raised questions about governance in Punjab.

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“The Department of Administrative Reforms earlier allotted to Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Cabinet Minister, is not in existence as on date,” the notification read. It also clarified that Dhaliwal would retain only the NRI Affairs portfolio. The situation highlights a significant lapse in administrative oversight, potentially undermining the credibility of the government.

According to sources, the AAP government was reportedly embarrassed after discovering that the department never existed, despite Dhaliwal being assigned to head it. This revelation has fueled accusations of incompetence and lack of due diligence within the state administration.

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The last cabinet reshuffle in Punjab occurred in September 2024, during which Mann inducted five new ministers and removed four. The state cabinet currently comprises a total of 16 ministers, including the Chief Minister. The discovery of the “non-existent” department has further complicated the political landscape in Punjab.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has seized upon the opportunity to attack the AAP government, sarcastically labeling the move as a “Kejriwal Model.” This political maneuvering underscores the contentious relationship between the ruling party and its opposition in the state.

Kanchan Gupta, a senior advisor to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcast, tweeted on Saturday, “Punjab had a Minister for Administrative Reforms but no Ministry of Administrative Reforms. AAP government headed by CM Bhagwant Mann was blissfully unaware of this till it erased the tag of Minister for Administrative Reforms. This is Kejriwal Model.”

Amit Malviya, head of BJP’s IT Cell, went further, calling AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal “a charlatan who must be banished from public life.” This strong rhetoric illustrates the heightened tensions between political factions in Punjab.

He tweeted, “You can imagine the crisis in Punjab government if it took nearly 20 months to realize that a department assigned to one of its prominent ministers never actually existed.” The BJP has vowed to continue holding the AAP government accountable for what it deems as administrative failures.

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal suggested that such incidents were occurring in Punjab because the state was being run by a “remote control in Delhi.” This allegation implies that decisions in Punjab are being heavily influenced by the AAP’s leadership in the national capital.

The development comes amid speculation and claims that AAP is shifting its power center from Delhi to Punjab following a crushing defeat in the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls. Some political analysts believe that Punjab is becoming increasingly important to the AAP’s long-term strategy.

Currently, Punjab is the only state where the AAP is in power, making it a crucial battleground for the party’s future. The incident involving the “non-existent” department could have significant implications for the AAP’s standing in the state.

Besides scrapping the department, the Punjab government also ordered the transfer of 21 IPS officers with immediate effect, including the shuffling of police chiefs of many districts. This large-scale transfer suggests that broader changes are underway within the state’s law enforcement apparatus.

Sources at the Punjab Advocate General’s office informed India Today that the state’s leadership was also seeking mass resignations of lawyers. This attempt to overhaul the legal representation of the state has raised eyebrows and sparked controversy within the legal community.

The changes are taking place ahead of a two-day session of the Punjab Assembly scheduled for February 24-25. The upcoming assembly session is expected to be lively, with the opposition likely to raise questions about the “non-existent” department and other administrative issues.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

Punjab government scrapped the non-existent Department of Administrative Reforms.
Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal served as minister of the department for 20 months.
BJP criticized the AAP government, calling it a “Kejriwal Model.”
Transfer of 21 IPS officers also ordered by the Punjab government.
Changes occur ahead of a key Punjab Assembly session.