AAP leader who served as a minister for 20 months in a non-existent department.

New Delhi: In Punjab, Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal led the Department of Administrative Reforms for over 20 months, despite the fact that the department did not exist. This came to light after the Punjab government recently issued a gazette notification making changes to correct this anomaly. The AAP government, led by Bhagwant Mann, came to power in Punjab three years ago, and in 2023, they undertook a cabinet reshuffle.

As part of the reshuffle, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, a senior leader in AAP, was given the responsibilities of two departments: NRI Affairs and Administrative Reforms. A second reshuffle took place in September 2024, where the same departments were retained for him. However, it was discovered that the Department of Administrative Reforms did not exist, prompting recent changes. This matter came to light after the release of the gazette notification on Friday, and it has since become a hot topic.

Local political leaders are now discussing this issue with humor, questioning how such a situation could have occurred. Meanwhile, the BJP is strongly criticizing the situation, accusing AAP of turning governance in Punjab into a “joke.” They are questioning how a minister could have been in charge of a non-existent department for 20 months. BJP leaders are also commenting on how the Chief Minister was unaware of the non-existence of the department, raising concerns about the state of governance.

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