AAP minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal on row over ‘non-existent dept’: ‘Punjab important, not…’

AAP minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal on row over ‘non-existent dept’: ‘Punjab important, not…’

AAP minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal on row over ‘non-existent dept’: ‘Punjab important, not…’ ByHT News Desk Feb 23, 2025 12:47 PM IST Share Via Copy Link A government notification said the administrative reforms department, earlier allocated to Punjab minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, is not in existence now

Punjab minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has responded to the controversy over the abolishment of the department of administrative reforms headed by him, which the state government said “is not in existence as on date”.

Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal will now only hold the portfolio of NRI Affairs in the state cabinet.(PTI)

"They have now abolished the department. We have all come to save Punjab. For me, the department is not important; Punjab is important. (Whether this department exists or not) is not an agenda for us," Dhaliwal was quoted by ANI as saying.

"In partial modification of Punjab Government Notification No. 2/1/2022-2Cabinet/2230 dated September 23, 2024, regarding allocation of portfolios amongst the Ministers, the Department of Administrative Reforms earlier allotted to Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Cabinet Minister is not in existence as on date," the government notification said.

Dhaliwal was given the administrative department portfolio in May 2023 during a cabinet reshuffle when he was relieved of the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare portfolio but retained the NRI Affairs department. The portfolio of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare had been given to Gurmeet Singh Khuddian.

The Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in the state.

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said,"He was heading a department for 20 months which is 'non-existent'. Such a thing can happen only under the leadership of the AAP government."

BJP leader Fatehjung Singh Bajwa alleged that the Mann government has took Punjab back by 50 years.

“Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal is one of the most senior leaders of the Cabinet and he was leading a non-existent Department, which means no meeting was ever taken... What kind of administrative reforms are being taken? People are going abroad through dunki routes, and no agent or tout who sent them was ever caught,” Bajwa told ANI.

"The biggest industry in Punjab is immigration offices and out of 100, only 10 might have a proper license... This state government has taken Punjab back by 50 years... Punjab used to stand ahead once and now stands at 14th or 15th position because of these 'clowns'," he added.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann defended the government, saying,"
We changed its name and created a new department. Earlier it was just for the name, there was no staff or office. Now, it has been created to bring reforms, whether it is in bureaucracy or other areas...We are also looking at merging several departments with similar functions into one department."