India, Feb. 22 -- Punjab minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was found to have been running a non-existent department in the ministry for close to 20 months, The Tribune reported, citing a gazette notification issued by the chief secretary of the state.

The notification said, "In partial modification of the previous Punjab govt notification regarding the allocation of portfolios, among ministers, the department of administrative reforms earlier allotted to Dhaliwal is not in existence as on date."

Aam Aadmi Party leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal will now only hold the portfolio of NRI affairs in the Punjab cabinet.

The notification stated that the decision to amend Dhaliwal's portfolio, on the orders of Punjab chief minister Bhagwat Mann, had...