Government of Punjab, India
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.
| Seat of Government | Chandigarh |
|---|---|
| Legislative branch | |
| Assembly | |
| Speaker | Kultar Singh Sandhwan[1] |
| Deputy Speaker | Jai Krishan Singh |
| Members in Assembly | 117 |
| Executive branch | |
| Governor | Banwarilal Purohit |
| Chief Minister | Bhagwant Mann |
| Deputy Chief Minister | |
| Chief Secretary | Vijay Kumar Janjua[2] |
| Judiciary | |
| High Court | Punjab & Haryana High Court |
| Chief Justice | Ravi Shankar Jha |
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
| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | [5] | ||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | [6] | ||
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | [7] | ||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | AAP | [citation needed] | ||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | [7] | ||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | [citation needed] | ||
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | [7] | ||
By departments
An alphabetical list of all the departments of Punjab Government with terms :[8]
| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Reforms | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Agriculture and Farmer Welfare | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Civil Aviation | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Conservation of Soil & Water | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Cooperation | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Defence Services Welfare | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Economic & Statistical Organisation | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Elections | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Employment Generation and Training | 16 March 2022 | 16 March 2023 | |
| 16 March 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Excise and Taxation | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Finance | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Food Processing | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | 16 March 2023 | ||
| 16 March 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Forest and Wild Life Preservation | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| General Administration | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Governance Reforms and Public Grievances | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 16 March 2023 | ||
| 16 March 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Health & Family Welfare | 21 March 2022 | 24 May 2022 | |
| 24 May 2022 | 5 July 2022 | ||
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Higher Education and Languages | 21 March 2022 | 7 January 2023 | |
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Home Affairs and Justice | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Horticulture | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Hospitality | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Housing and Urban Development | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 16 March 2023 | ||
| 16 March 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Industries and Commerce | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Information and Public Relation | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 16 March 2023 | ||
| 16 March 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Information Technology | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Investment Promotion | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Jails | 21 March 2022 | 7 January 2023 | |
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Labour | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Legal and Legislative Affairs | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Local Government | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Mines & Geology | 21 March 2022 | 7 January 2023 | |
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Medical Education and Research | 21 March 2022 | 24 May 2022 | |
| 24 May 2022 | 5 July 2022 | ||
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| New & Renewable Energy Sources | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| NRI Affairs | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Parliamentary Affairs | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Personnel and Training | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Planning | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Power | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Printing and Stationery | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 13 January 2023 | ||
| 13 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Program Implementation | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Public Works | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Punjab Energy Development Agency | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Removal of Grievances | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 16 March 2023 | ||
| 16 March 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Revenue, Rehabilitation & Disaster Management | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Rural Development and Panchayat | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| School Education | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Science, Technology & Environment | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Social Security and Development of Women and Children | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Sports and Youth Services | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Technical Education and Industrial Training | 16 March 2022 | 7 January 2023 | |
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Tourism and Cultural Affairs | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||
| Transport | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Vigilance | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Water Resources | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent | ||
| Water Supply and Sanitation | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
| Welfare of Freedom Fighters | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
| 5 July 2022 | 7 January 2023 | ||
| 7 January 2023 | Incumbent |
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 16 August 2022, there are 57 Judges working in the High Court, comprising 40 Permanent and 17 Additional Judges.
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.[20][21]
Departments and agencies
See also
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Punjab govt. Appoints Vijay Kumar Janjua as new Chief Secretary". The Hindu. 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Jurisdiction and Seats of Indian High Courts". Eastern Book Company. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
- ^ "Punjab Legislative Assembly". Legislative Bodies in India. National Informatics Centre, Government of India. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
- ^ "Punjab portfolios announced; CM Mann keeps Home and Vigilance, Cheema gets Finance, Singla Health, Harbhajan Power". Tribuneindia News Service. 21 March 2022. from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "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. from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ "Departments – Government of Punjab, India". from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Kerala Government – Legislature". Kerala Niyamasabha.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "In Punjab Cabinet, Bhagwant Mann Keeps Home, Harpal Cheema Gets Finance". NDTV.com. 21 March 2022. from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "BJP is calling AAP MLAs, offering money and threatening to join: Punjab minister". The Indian Express. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit acting at behest of BJP: Aam Aadmi Party". The Hindu. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ "Opposition hails Punjab Governor for withdrawing nod to special Assembly session". Tribuneindia News Service. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ "Punjab governor summons assembly session on September 27". telegraphindia.com. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ "AAP nominates party MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan as next Punjab assembly speaker". Hindustan Times. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ "Jai Krishan Singh Rouri is new Deputy Speaker of Punjab assembly". The Indian Express. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Chandigarh's Capitol Complex is now a UNESCO heritage site". 18 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
External links
- Government of Punjab, website