The recent appointment of Shaleen Mitra, a Delhi-based officer, as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to ਪੰਜਾਬ Health ਮੰਤਰੀ Balbir Singh has sparked a political controversy in the state.
Mitra, who previously served as the project manager for the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and was part of AAP leader Satyendar Jain’s team in Delhi, has drawn criticism from several opposition leaders. They allege that the AAP-led ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ is sidelining local talent by bringing in outsiders for key roles.
Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa questioned the decision on social media, accusing the ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ of being “remote-controlled” from Delhi. He expressed concern that such appointments hurt the pride of Punjabis and undermine state autonomy.
Responding to the criticism, AAP spokesperson Neel Garg defended the move, pointing out that similar appointments had occurred under previous governments as well. He cited the example of Prashant Kishor, a Delhi-based strategist who was made principal adviser to the ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ during the Congress ਸਰਕਾਰ in 2021.
The issue has reignited the ongoing debate over the influence of AAP’s Delhi leadership on ਪੰਜਾਬ’s governance, with the Opposition using it to question the state ਸਰਕਾਰ’s independence and commitment to local representation.
