Emblem of Punjab Banner 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 | Banwarilal Purohit |
Chief Minister | Bhagwant Mann |
Chief Secretary | Anurag Verma, IAS [2] |
Judiciary | |
High Court | Punjab & Haryana High Court |
Chief Justice | Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (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. 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]
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 | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 5 July 2022 | Incumbent | AAP | [7] | ||
| 31 May 2023 | Incumbent | AAP | |||
| 31 May 2023 | Incumbent | AAP |
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 | 31 May 2023 | ||
31 May 2023 | Incumbent | ||
Agriculture and Farmer Welfare | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
5 July 2022 | 31 May 2023 | ||
31 May 2023 | Incumbent | ||
Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries | 21 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
5 July 2022 | 31 May 2023 | ||
31 May 2023 | Incumbent | ||
Civil Aviation | 16 March 2022 | Incumbent | |
Conservation of Soil & Water | 16 March 2022 | 5 July 2022 | |
5 July 2022 | 31 May 2023 | ||
31 May 2023 | 21 November 2023 | ||
21 November 2023 | 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 | 31 May 2023 | ||
31 May 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 | 31 May 2023 | ||
31 May 2023 | Incumbent | ||
Mines & Geology | 21 March 2022 | 7 January 2023 | |
7 January 2023 | 21 November 2023 | ||
21 November 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 | 31 May 2023 | ||
31 May 2023 | 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 | 31 May 2023 | |
31 May 2023 | 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 | 21 November 2023 | ||
21 November 2023 | 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 | 21 November 2023 | ||
21 November 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 |
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]
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 sandwa 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]
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]
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 |
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]
Bhagwant Singh Mann is an Indian politician, social worker, former comedian, singer and actor who is currently serving as the 17th Chief minister of Punjab since 2022. He represents the Dhuri Assembly constituency in the Punjab Legislative Assembly since 2022 and is also serving as the state convener of Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab since 2019. Previously, he was a member of the Lok Sabha from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency from 2014 to 2022.
The Punjab Legislative Assembly or the Punjab Vidhan Sabha is the unicameral legislature of the state of Punjab in India. The Sixteenth Punjab Legislative Assembly was constituted in March 2022. At present, it consists of 117 members, directly elected from 117 single-seat constituencies. The tenure of the Legislative Assembly is five years unless dissolved sooner. The Speaker of the sixteenth assembly is Kultar Singh Sandhwan. The meeting place of the Legislative Assembly since 6 March 1961 is the Vidhan Bhavan in Chandigarh.
Anmol Gagan Maan is an Indian politician minister of Punjab government and Punjabi singer. She is the MLA representing the Kharar Assembly constituency in the Punjab Legislative Assembly. She is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party. She was elected as the MLA in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. Anmol Gagan Maan is also known as Gagandeep Kaur Maan. She is a Punjabi singer known for her Punjabi folk and Bhangra songs.
Aman Arora is an Indian politician. He is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Sunam Assembly constituency, and is the co-president of the Punjab state unit of Aam Aadmi Party.
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer is a two time member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Barnala constituency. He is a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Punjab. He first won the Legislative Assembly elections from the Aam Aadmi Party in 2017 by defeating the Indian National Congress's candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon. In the 2022 Legislative Assembly elections, he again won the Barnala constituency by a huge margin by securing almost 50% of the votes polled. He holds five important portfolios in the Mann ministry, wherein he is the Minister of the Departments of Higher Education & Languages, Governance Reforms, Sports & Youth Services, Science Technology & Environment and Printing & Stationery. He is also the in-charge of the Youth Wing of the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.
Harpal Singh Cheema is an Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Dirba Assembly constituency located in Sangrur District, Punjab. In March 2022, he became first BobA to be a finance minister of Punjab. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party just before the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. He contested and won the election from Dirba Assembly constituency against a popular Punjabi Kabbadi player Gulzar Singh Moonak from Shiromani Akali Dal and Ajaib Singh Ratolan from Indian National Congress. In July 2018 he was appointed leader of opposition of Punjab Legislative Assembly.
Harjot Singh Bains is an Indian politician of AAP from Punjab.
Legislative Assembly elections were held in Punjab on 20 February 2022 to elect the 117 members of the 16th Assembly of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The votes were counted and the results were declared on 10 March 2022.
The Aam Aadmi Party Punjab or AAP Punjab is the Punjab state wing of Aam Aadmi Party and a recognised State party in Punjab. Currently, it is the governing party in the Punjab Legislative Assembly and has significant representation of the state in Rajya Sabha.
Chetan Singh Jouramajra is an Indian politician, and a member of Aam Aadmi Party. He is Member of Legislative Assembly from Samana, was elected in 2022 Punjab assembly elections, and also serves as a president of Patiala district rural unit of the party. In 2019, he was shot saving a girl from kidnapping. In 2022, he won in Samana by margin of 39,713.
Narinder Kaur Bharaj is an Indian politician and lawyer, and the member of legislative assembly from Sangrur Assembly constituency. She defeated the incumbent cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla of Indian National Congress in 2022 elections. Also, she became the youngest MLA in Punjab. She is also District youth president of Aam Aadmi Party.
Lal Chand Kataruchak is an Indian politician and the MLA from Bhoa Assembly constituency. He belongs to vill Kataru Chak in Pathankot. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party. He had been sarpanch of Kataru Chak village for six terms.
Harbhajan Singh E.T.O. is an Indian politician and the MLA from Jandiala Assembly constituency. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party. He became an Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) in 2012 but he took voluntary retirement from the post of ETO in 2017 and he contested election from Jandiala constituency in 2017. He secured 33912 votes in 2017 and was among the highest vote gatherers in Majha region of Punjab in 2017. In 2022 he won from the same constituency with a margin of almost 25000+ votes defeating working president and sitting MLA Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala.
Inderbir Singh Nijjar is an Indian politician and the MLA from Amritsar South Assembly constituency. He is current President of Chief Khalsa Diwan. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party.He is also elected as Protem Speaker of Punjab Legislative Assembly
Kultar Singh Sandhwan is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 18th and current Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly from 21 March 2022. He is also MLA representing the Kotkapura Assembly constituency. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party. He is the current speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.
The Bhagwant Mann ministry is the State Cabinet of Punjab, India headed by the present Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The oath-taking ceremony of Mann was held at Khatkar Kalan village on 16 March 2022. The 10 cabinet ministers took oath on 19 March.
Election for the Sixteenth Legislative Assembly was held in the Indian state of Punjab. Polling was done on 20 February 2022 to elect the 117 members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes declaration of results was done on 10 March 2022. The Fifteenth Punjab assembly was dissolved on 11 March 2022. The dissolution was necessitated after the results of the election was declared on 10 March. 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.
Dr. Baljit Kaur is an Indian politician and an eye surgeon. She was elected to the Malout Assembly constituency, Punjab in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election as a member of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Sheetal Angural is an Indian politician representing the Jalandhar West Assembly constituency in the Punjab Legislative Assembly and now he is a former MLA. He was a member of the Aam Aadmi Party. He joined Bharatiya Janta Party in 27 March 2024, before the 2024 Indian General Election.
Pandit Brahm Shankar Sharma Jimpa is an Indian politician and the minister for Revenue and Water Resources in the Mann ministry, Punjab government. He is the MLA representing the Hoshiarpur Assembly constituency in the Punjab Legislative Assembly. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party. He was elected as the MLA in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election.