Punjab CM Defends New Department Creation Amid Political Critique

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann responds to criticism regarding a 'non-existent' department. He clarifies that the state has restructured and renamed the department to foster reforms. Opposition voices, however, argue this exposes the state government's inefficacy and administrative disarray.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has responded to the growing criticism over Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal's involvement with a so-called 'non-existent' department. In a recent statement, Mann explained that the state government has reorganized and renamed the department to bring necessary reforms to the administrative structure. This move, he said, includes consolidating departments with similar functions to enhance efficiency.

The controversy originates from a Punjab government Gazette notification dated February 21, which disclosed that the Department of Administrative Reforms, previously under Dhaliwal's purview, does not exist. The notification follows a cabinet reshuffle in September 2024, where Mann made significant changes, dismissing four ministers and adding five new ones. Dhaliwal, initially assigned the NRI Affairs and Administrative Reforms portfolios, now finds the latter eliminated.

Critics seized on the situation, with Congress leader Pargat Singh lambasting the administration's capabilities, suggesting it represents an unprecedented insult to a minister. BJP leader Fatehjung Singh Bajwa also chastised the government, highlighting the lack of oversight in immigration affairs and questioning the efficacy of reform efforts, claiming the state has regressed dramatically.