Government of Punjab, India

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Government of Punjab
Seal of the Government Of Punjab (Black On White).svg
Emblem of Punjab
Seat of Government Chandigarh
Legislative branch
Assembly
Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan [1]
Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh
Members in Assembly 117
Executive branch
Governor Gulab Chand Kataria
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann
Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, IAS [2]
Judiciary
High Court Punjab & Haryana High Court
Chief Justice Sheel Nagu

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.

Contents

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. The post of governor 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

PortfolioMinisterTookofficeLeftofficePartyRef
  • Chief Minister
  • Civil Aviation
  • Cooperation
  • General Administration
  • Home Affairs & Justice
  • Legal & Legislative Affairs
  • Personnel and Training
  • Sports and Youth Services
  • 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
  • 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
  • Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs
  • Forest and Wild Life Preservation
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent  AAP
  • Jails
  • Transport
21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)Incumbent  AAP
  • Higher Education and Languages
  • Information & Public Relations
  • 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
  • Agriculture and Farmer Welfare
  • Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairy Development
  • Food Processing
31 May 2023 (2023-05-31)Incumbent  AAP
  • Defence Services Welfare
  • Freedom Fighters
  • Horticulture
23 September 2024 (2024-09-23)Incumbent  AAP
  • Hospitality
  • Industries & Commerce
  • Investment Promotion
  • Labour
  • Rural Development & Panchayats
  • Tourism & Culture Affairs
23 September 2024 (2024-09-23)Incumbent  AAP
  • Local Government
  • Parliamentary Affairs
23 September 2024 (2024-09-23)Incumbent  AAP
  • Conservation of Soil and Water
  • Mines & Geology
  • Water Resources
23 September 2024 (2024-09-23)Incumbent  AAP
  • Housing and Urban Development
  • Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management
  • Water Supply & Sanitation
23 September 2024 (2024-09-23)Incumbent  AAP

By departments

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

PortfolioMinisterTookofficeLeftoffice
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 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Cooperation21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Defence Services Welfare16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
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 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Hospitality21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Housing and Urban Development16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202216 March 2023
16 March 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Industries and Commerce16 March 202223 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Information and Public Relation16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202216 March 2023
16 March 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Information Technology16 March 2022Incumbent
Investment Promotion16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202223 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Jails21 March 20227 January 2023
7 January 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Labour16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202223 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Legal and Legislative Affairs21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 2022Incumbent
Local Government16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202231 May 2023
31 May 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Mines & Geology21 March 20227 January 2023
7 January 202321 November 2023
21 November 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
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 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
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 202223 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Rural Development and Panchayat21 March 202231 May 2023
31 May 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
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 202225 June 2024
25 June 2024Incumbent
Technical Education and Industrial Training16 March 20227 January 2023
7 January 2023Incumbent
Tourism and Cultural Affairs21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 202223 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Transport21 March 2022Incumbent
Vigilance16 March 2022Incumbent
Water Resources21 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 202321 November 2023
21 November 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Water Supply and Sanitation21 March 202223 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent
Welfare of Freedom Fighters16 March 20225 July 2022
5 July 20227 January 2023
7 January 202323 September 2024
23 September 2024Incumbent

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 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]

Leaders

TitleNamePortraitSince
Constitutional Posts
Governor Gulab Chand Kataria Gulab Chand Kataria Minister.jpg 30 July 2024


Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan [13] S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan.jpg 21 March 2022
Deputy speaker Jai Krishan Singh [14] Jaisinghrouri.jpeg 30 June 2022
Leader of the House
(Chief Minister)
Bhagwant Mann Bhagwant Mann.png 16 March 2022
Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa Pratap Singh Bajwa.jpg 9 April 2022
Political posts
Leader of AAP legislature party Bhagwant Mann Bhagwant Mann.png 16 March 2022
Leader of INC legislature party Pratap Singh Bajwa Pratap Singh Bajwa.jpg 9 April 2022
Leader of SAD legislature party Manpreet Singh Ayali Manpreet Singh Ayali.jpg 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. [15]

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. [16] [17]

Departments and agencies

See also

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References

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