Political Firestorm: Punjab Minister's 'Invisible' Department

Punjab's AAP government faces criticism after it emerged that Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal held the charge of a non-existent department for 21 months. Opposition parties attacked the administration's competency, accusing it of poor governance. The department has now been restructured under a new name.

The AAP government in Punjab is under fire from opposition parties after it was revealed that Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had held charge of a nonexistent administrative department for 21 months.

A new government notification confirmed that the administrative reforms department, previously allocated to Dhaliwal, no longer exists, and he now oversees only the NRI Affairs department. The opposition criticized the government for its incompetence, triggering a political uproar.

Both BJP and Congress leaders condemned the Punjab government, calling it irresponsible and alleging governance collapse. Dhaliwal defended himself, emphasizing his focus on serving Punjab, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sought to downplay the issue, explaining the department's renaming to better address bureaucratic reforms.