Government of Punjab, India
Seat of GovernmentChandigarh
Legislative branch
Assembly
SpeakerKultar Singh Sandhwan[1]
Deputy SpeakerJai Krishan Singh
Members in Assembly117
Executive branch
GovernorBanwarilal Purohit
Chief MinisterBhagwant Mann
Deputy Chief Minister
Chief SecretaryVijay Kumar Janjua[2], IAS
Judiciary
High CourtPunjab & Haryana High Court
Chief JusticeRitu Bahri (acting)

The Government of Punjab, also known as the State Government of Punjab or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Punjab and its 23 districts. It consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Punjab, a judiciary and a legislative branch.

Like other states in India, the head of state of Punjab is the Governor, appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Central government. His or her post is largely ceremonial. The Chief Minister is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab, and houses the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the secretariat. Chandigarh also serves as the capital of Haryana, and is a union territory of India. The Punjab & Haryana High Court, located in Chandigarh, has jurisdiction over the whole state.[3]

The present Legislative Assembly of Punjab is unicameral, consisting of 117 Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A). Its term is 5 years, unless sooner dissolved.[4]

Cabinet Ministers

By Minister

PortfolioMinisterTook officeLeft officePartyRef
  • Chief Minister
  • Civil Aviation
  • Cooperation
  • General Administration
  • Home Affairs & Justice
  • Housing and Urban Development
  • Industries & Commerce
  • Jails
  • Legal & Legislative Affairs
  • Personnel and Training
  • Science Technology & Environment
  • Vigilance
  • Other departments not allocated to any Minister
16 March 2022 (2022-03-16)Incumbent AAP[5]
  • Economic & Statistical Organisation
  • Excise & Taxation
  • Finance
  • Planning
  • Programme Implementation
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP[6]
  • Employement Generation and Training
  • Governance Reforms and Public Grievances
  • New and Renewable Energy Sources
  • Printing & Stationery
5 July 2022 (2022-07-05)Incumbent AAP[7]
  • Social Justice, Empowerment & Minorities
  • Social Security and Development of Women and Children
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Sports and Youth Services
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Administrative Reforms
  • NRI Affairs
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Elections
  • Health and Family Welfare
  • Medical Education and Research
7 January 2023 (2023-01-07)Incumbent AAP
  • Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management
  • Water Supply & Sanitation
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs
  • Forest and Wild Life Preservation
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Rural Development & Panchayats
  • Transport
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Higher Education and Languages
  • School Education
  • Technical Education & Industrial Training
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Power
  • Public Works
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent AAP
  • Conservation of Soil and Water
  • Defence Services Welfare
  • Freedom Fighters
  • Horticulture
  • Information & Public Relations
  • Mines & Geology
  • Water Resources
5 July 2022 (2022-07-05)Incumbent AAP
  • Hospitality
  • Investment Promotion
  • Labour
  • Tourism & Culture Affairs
5 July 2022 (2022-07-05)Incumbent AAP[7]
  • Local Government
  • Parliamentary Affairs
31 May 2023 (2023-05-31)Incumbent AAP
  • Agriculture and Farmer Welfare
  • Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairy Development
  • Food Processing
31 May 2023 (2023-05-31)Incumbent AAP

By departments

An alphabetical list of all the departments of Punjab Government with terms :[8]

PortfolioMinisterTook officeLeft office
Administrative Reforms16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202231 May 2023
31 May 2023Incumbent
Agriculture and Farmer Welfare16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202231 May 2023
31 May 2023Incumbent
Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202231 May 2023
31 May 2023Incumbent
Civil Aviation16 March 2022Incumbent
Conservation of Soil & Water16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202231 May 2023
31 May 202321 November 2023
21 November 2023Incumbent
Cooperation21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Defence Services Welfare16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Economic & Statistical Organisation16 March 2022Incumbent
Elections16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Employment Generation and Training16 March 202216 March 2023
16 March 2023Incumbent
Excise and Taxation21 March 2022Incumbent
Finance21 March 2022Incumbent
Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs21 March 2022Incumbent
Food Processing16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 202316 March 2023
16 March 202331 May 2023
31 May 2023Incumbent
Forest and Wild Life Preservation21 March 2022Incumbent
General Administration16 March 2022Incumbent
Governance Reforms and Public Grievances16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202216 March 2023
16 March 2023Incumbent
Health & Family Welfare21 March 202224 May 2022
24 May 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Higher Education and Languages21 March 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Home Affairs and Justice16 March 2022Incumbent
Horticulture16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Hospitality21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Housing and Urban Development16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202216 March 2023
16 March 2023Incumbent
Industries and Commerce16 March 2022Incumbent
Information and Public Relation16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202216 March 2023
16 March 2023Incumbent
Information Technology16 March 2022Incumbent
Investment Promotion16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Jails21 March 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Labour16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Legal and Legislative Affairs21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Local Government16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202231 May 2023
31 May 2023Incumbent
Mines & Geology21 March 20227 January 2023
7 January 202321 November 2023
21 November 2023Incumbent
Medical Education and Research21 March 202224 May 2022
24 May 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
New & Renewable Energy Sources16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
NRI Affairs21 March 2022Incumbent
Parliamentary Affairs16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202231 May 2023
31 May 2023Incumbent
Personnel and Training16 March 2022Incumbent
Planning21 March 2022Incumbent
Power21 March 2022Incumbent
Printing and Stationery16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202213 January 2023
13 January 2023Incumbent
Program Implementation21 March 2022Incumbent
Public Works21 March 2022Incumbent
Punjab Energy Development Agency16 March 2022Incumbent
Removal of Grievances21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202216 March 2023
16 March 2023Incumbent
Revenue, Rehabilitation & Disaster Management21 March 2022Incumbent
Rural Development and Panchayat21 March 202231 May 2023
31 May 2023Incumbent
School Education21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Science, Technology & Environment16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202221 November 2023
21 November 2023Incumbent
Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities21 March 2022Incumbent
Social Security and Development of Women and Children21 March 2022Incumbent
Sports and Youth Services21 March 2022Incumbent
Technical Education and Industrial Training16 March 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Tourism and Cultural Affairs21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Transport21 March 2022Incumbent
Vigilance16 March 2022Incumbent
Water Resources21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 202321 November 2023
21 November 2023Incumbent
Water Supply and Sanitation21 March 2022Incumbent
Welfare of Freedom Fighters16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent

Legislative branch

The legislature comprises the governor and the Punjab Legislative Assembly, which is the highest political organ in the state. The governor has the power to summon the assembly or to close the same. All members of the legislative assembly are directly elected, normally once in every five years by the eligible voters who are above 18 years of age. The current assembly consists of 117 elected members. The elected members select one of its own members as its chairperson who is called the speaker of the assembly. The speaker is assisted by the deputy speaker who is also elected by the members. The conduct of a meeting in the house is the responsibility of the speaker.

The main function of the assembly is to pass laws and rules. Every bill passed by the house has to be finally approved by the governor before it becomes applicable.

The normal term of the legislative assembly is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting.[9] In the Sixteenth Punjab Legislative Assembly, 92 members of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party form the treasury benches. The main opposition party in the assembly is Indian National Congress with 18 seats. The other parties which are in opposition are the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and independents. AAP MLA, Kultar Singh Sandhwan was announced as the speaker of the assembly.[10]

History

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took the oath of office on 16 March at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh. Inderbir Singh Nijjar took the oath as Protem Speaker. On 17 March Nijjar administered the oath of office to all the 117 legislators of the Sixteenth Punjab Legislative assembly.[11] Other 10 cabinet ministers of the Mann ministry, took oath on 19 March.

On 22 June 2022, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan announced that the Punjab legislators will get answers on all issues that they raise during the Assembly debates. The answers would be provided during the Zero Hour. This was done for the first time in the history of Punjab Assembly.[12]

Operation Lotus

Aam Aadmi Party, the ruling party in Punjab, accused BJP of spending ₹1375 Crore in Punjab to bribe the AAP MLAs as part of Operation Lotus. Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said in a press conference, "Our MLAs have been approached with offers of up to Rs 25 crore to break away from AAP. The MLAs were told: “bade bau ji se milwayenge”. These MLAs have also been offered big posts. They were told that if you get more MLAs along, you would be given upto Rs 75 crore,"[13][14]

AAP government called a special Session of the Assembly on 22 September to bring a "confidence motion". Governor Banwarilal Purohit refused to allow permission for the special session. AAP said that Governor was acting on the behest of BJP in cancelling the 22 September session so that Operation Lotus can succeed. Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly has representatives of all the parties and it decides the legislative business that occurs in the Assembly.[15] The opposition parties Congress, SAD and BJP hailed governors decision to prevent the special session from occurring.[16] CM Mann said that "Gov/Presi consent before any session of Legislature is a formality. In 75 years, no Presi/Gov ever asked list of Legislative business before calling session. Legislative business is decided by BAC (Business Advisory Committee of the House) and Speaker. Next Gov will ask all speeches also to be approved by him. Its too much." On 25 September, Purohit agreed to summon the special session of the Assembly.[17]

Leaders

Title Name Portrait Since
Constitutional Posts
Governor Banwarilal Purohit 31 August 2021
Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan[18] 21 March 2022
Deputy speaker Jai Krishan Singh[19] 30 June 2022
Leader of the House
(Chief Minister)		 Bhagwant Mann 16 March 2022
Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa 9 April 2022
Political posts
Leader of AAP legislature party Bhagwant Mann 16 March 2022
Leader of INC legislature party Pratap Singh Bajwa 9 April 2022
Leader of SAD legislature party Manpreet Singh Ayali April 2022

Judiciary

Punjab and Haryana High Court is the common High Court for the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh based in Chandigarh, India. Sanctioned strength of Judges of this High Court is 85 consisting of 64 Permanent Judges and 21 Additional Judges including Chief Justice. As of 14 September 2023, there are 58 Judges working in the High Court, comprising 36 Permanent and 22 Additional Judges.[20]

The court building is known as the Palace of Justice. Designed by Le Corbusier, it and several of his other works were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in July 2016.[21][22]

Departments and agencies

See also

References

  1. ↑ Brar, Kamaldeep Singh (27 March 2022). "Punjab speaker seeks pardon at Akal Takht after video of priest touching a cow's tail to his turban goes viral". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Punjab govt. Appoints Vijay Kumar Janjua as new Chief Secretary". The Hindu. 5 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Jurisdiction and Seats of Indian High Courts". Eastern Book Company. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  4. ↑ "Punjab Legislative Assembly". Legislative Bodies in India. National Informatics Centre, Government of India. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  5. ↑ "Punjab portfolios announced; CM Mann keeps Home and Vigilance, Cheema gets Finance, Singla Health, Harbhajan Power". Tribuneindia News Service. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "GOVERNOR ALLOTS PORTFOLIOS TO NEWLY INDUCTED MINISTERS | Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Punjab, India ਸੂਚਨਾ ਤੇ ਲੋਕ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਪੰਜਾਬ ,ਭਾਰਤ". diprpunjab.gov.in. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Punjab Cabinet expansion: Anmol Gagan gets tourism; Indervir Nijjar local bodies, Chetan Singh health". Tribune India News Service. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Departments – Government of Punjab, India". Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  9. ↑ "Kerala Government – Legislature". Kerala Niyamasabha. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  10. ↑ "Punjab Cabinet swearing-in Live Updates: From uprooting corruption to tackling drug addiction in Punjab — newly-inducted Ministers set targets". The Indian Express. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "In Punjab Cabinet, Bhagwant Mann Keeps Home, Harpal Cheema Gets Finance". NDTV.com. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  12. ↑ Service, Tribune News (22 June 2022). "All Zero Hour questions to be answered: Punjab Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "BJP trying to topple AAP government in Punjab, offering Rs 25 crore to MLAs: Minister". Tribuneindia News Service. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "BJP is calling AAP MLAs, offering money and threatening to join: Punjab minister". The Indian Express. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit acting at behest of BJP: Aam Aadmi Party". The Hindu. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  16. ↑ "Opposition hails Punjab Governor for withdrawing nod to special Assembly session". Tribuneindia News Service. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  17. ↑ "Punjab governor summons assembly session on September 27". telegraphindia.com. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "AAP nominates party MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan as next Punjab assembly speaker". Hindustan Times. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  19. ↑ "Jai Krishan Singh Rouri is new Deputy Speaker of Punjab assembly". The Indian Express. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  20. ↑ https://www.highcourtchd.gov.in/index.php?mod=chief
  21. ↑ "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  22. ↑ "Chandigarh's Capitol Complex is now a UNESCO heritage site". 18 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.


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