AAP's Punjab Minister ran non-existent department for 20 months, now stripped of portfolio

Punjab Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was found to have been running a non-existent department for nearly 20 months, according to a gazette notification issued by the state’s Chief Secretary. The notification confirmed that the "Department of Administrative Reforms," which was allotted to Dhaliwal after a May 2023 cabinet reshuffle, did not exist. Following this revelation, the Punjab government amended his portfolio, leaving him in charge of only the NRI Affairs department.

The notification stated, “In partial modification of the previous Punjab government notification regarding the allocation of portfolios among ministers, the department of administrative reforms earlier allotted to Dhaliwal is not in existence as on date.” Sources revealed that Dhaliwal had sought clarity on his role after realizing that his department had no secretary or allocated staff. He was informed that administrative reforms were part of the broader governance reforms department, leading to confusion over his responsibilities.

Opposition parties have strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over this revelation. BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “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.” BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari called it an example of poor governance, while Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal claimed that Punjab’s administration was being "run by remote control from Delhi."

Dhaliwal initially held the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare portfolio before being reassigned in 2023. Even after another cabinet reshuffle in September 2024, he continued to hold the non-existent Administrative Reforms department. The department, which was meant to focus on modernizing governance, never had staff, held meetings, or implemented any policies. The government’s recent notification has officially rectified the mistake, restricting Dhaliwal’s role to the NRI Affairs department.

The minister has recently been in the spotlight for handling issues related to Indian deportees returning from the US to Amritsar under his NRI Affairs portfolio. As of February 7, 2025, his responsibilities have been formally revised, with no confirmation on whether he will be reassigned another portfolio. The incident has raised questions about internal oversight within the Punjab government and the efficiency of administrative processes.