In a major embarrassment for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government, it has been revealed that Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal headed a non-existent department for nearly 20 months before the mistake was rectified through a gazetted notification. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized the incident, calling it a glaring example of governance failure.
Minister Without a Department
Mr. Dhaliwal, a cabinet minister in Punjab, was originally in charge of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department but was relieved of this duty during a cabinet reshuffle in May 2023. He was then assigned two portfolios—NRI Affairs and Administrative Reforms. However, it has now emerged that the Administrative Reforms Department did not actually exist. Despite this, he continued holding the non-existent department for nearly two years.
Even during another cabinet reshuffle in September 2024, Mr. Dhaliwal retained both portfolios, and the oversight was not detected until recently. The Punjab government has now acknowledged the error, confirming that the Administrative Reforms Department never officially existed. The gazette notification has since been issued, clarifying that Mr. Dhaliwal will now only retain the NRI Affairs portfolio.
BJP Slams AAP Government
The BJP has strongly attacked the AAP-led Punjab government over the incident, calling it a mockery of governance.
- BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari took to social media, saying:”AAP has made governance in Punjab a joke! A minister ran a department for 20 months which never existed! Imagine, for 20 months, the CM did not even know that a minister was running a ‘NON-EXISTENT DEPARTMENT.'”
- Amit Malviya, BJP IT Cell head, also criticized AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, stating:”You can imagine the crisis in Punjab’s government if it took nearly 20 months to realize that a department assigned to one of its prominent ministers never actually existed. Arvind Kejriwal is a charlatan who must be banished from public life.”
Punjab CM Defends the Move
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann responded to the controversy by saying the government had now taken corrective measures.
Dhaliwal in the Spotlight
Mr. Dhaliwal, who is also the Punjab NRI Affairs Minister, has been in the headlines recently due to the deportation of illegal Indian migrants from the United States. On February 5, a group of Indians arrived in Amritsar in chains and shackles, sparking widespread condemnation. Dhaliwal has been vocal about the issue and has demanded better treatment for deported Indian nationals.
Sources By Agencies
