Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal says the department’s existence is secondary to Punjab’s welfare. The department of administrative reforms was abolished by the Punjab government. The move triggered a response from BJP, who criticised the AAP government in Punjab. The Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann clarified that the department was merged with another to streamline governance. He also mentioned that other departments with overlapping functions, such as irrigation, water conservation, and drainage, may be consolidated to improve efficiency. He added that similar restructuring is being planned for other departments, including IT and irrigation. The Department of aministrative reforms had reportedly been ‘redundant’ for some time. Officials pointed out that it existed only on paper, had no dedicated officers and no significant meetings or initiatives had taken place. It has been in the spotlight, particularly after the US deported illegal migrants to Amritsar earlier this month. Previously, in a cabinet reshuffle in May 2023, Dhaliwalk lost key portfolios such as agriculture and rural development, with administrative reforms being handed to him after the exit of Inderbir Singh Nijjar. “He was heading a department for 20 months which is ‘non-existent’ Such a thing can happen only under the leadership of the AAPgovernment,” said Union minister Hardeep Sikh Puri.
