Overview
- Punjab minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was assigned the Administrative Reforms department in May 2023, but it was later revealed to be non-existent for the 20 months he held the portfolio.
- The Punjab government issued a notification on February 21, 2025, confirming that the department was defunct and Dhaliwal will now only oversee the NRI Affairs portfolio.
- Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended the situation, stating that the department had no staff or office and has since been restructured to bring efficiency and reforms.
- Opposition parties, including the BJP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal, criticized the AAP government, accusing it of administrative incompetence and remote-controlled governance.
- Social media reactions highlighted public frustration, with many mocking the oversight as emblematic of broader governance failures under the AAP administration.