Reiterating the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government’s commitment to creating employment opportunities for the youth of the state, Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian on Wednesday handed over appointment letters to 48 District and Assistant System Managers at Punjab Bhawan here.

Congratulating newly recruited candidates after handing over appointment letters to them, the Cabinet Minister said that the Mann Government has been conducting transparent and merit-based recruitment drives while ensuring that selection processes are completed in record time.

He said that the Punjab Land Records Society had invited applications on April 15, 2025 for the recruitment of District System Managers (DSM) and Assistant System Managers (ASM). Following a transparent selection process, 11 candidates were selected for the posts of District System Managers and 37 candidates for the posts of Assistant System Managers.

It is pertinent to mention here that all selected candidates will a complete two-month training programme at the Director Land Records, Jalandhar, comprising one month of Revenue Training and one month of Field Training, to equip them with the necessary professional skills and field-level experience required for efficient service delivery.

The Revenue Minister said that this marks another significant step in the state government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen public service delivery through qualified human resources.

Lauding the vision of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Cabinet Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that the Mann government has made youth empowerment and employment generation a top priority. “More than 66,000 government jobs have already been provided to deserving candidates through a transparent recruitment mechanism, restoring the confidence of young aspirants in the system,” he added.

The Cabinet Minister urged the newly appointed officials to discharge their duties with dedication, integrity and professionalism and contribute meaningfully towards modernising land records administration and enhancing citizen-centric services across Punjab.

Calling upon the newly recruited officers to discharge their duties with utmost honesty, dedication and a spirit of public service, the Cabinet Minister urged them not to be influenced by misleading advice or external pressures. He said that as custodians of an important public service system, they must work with integrity and become active partners in the government’s vision of building a “Rangla Punjab”. Stating that an officer’s reputation is shaped by his conduct and commitment to duty, S. Mundian exhorted them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ensure that every responsibility entrusted to them is carried out with sincerity and accountability.

Congratulating the newly appointed employees, Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner Revenue Mr. Anurag Verma said that their selection had been made through a completely transparent and merit-based recruitment process without any recommendation or influence. He said that Punjab, being an agrarian state, has a deep and inseparable connection with land and land-related services, making the role of DSMs and ASMs extremely significant in the Revenue Department. Highlighting that land records across the state have been digitised, Mr. Verma said that the responsibility of maintaining, updating and managing these records through modern technological systems rests largely with these officials. He expressed confidence that the newly recruited officers would utilise their technical expertise, dedication and integrity to deliver efficient public services and further strengthen the state’s digital land records management system.

Prominent amongst others who were present during the function included Special Secretary-cum-Director Land Records Mr. Paramvir Singh and senior officers of the Revenue Department, Punjab Land Records Society and Director Land Records, Punjab.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday announced that the Punjab Government will formulate a comprehensive state-wide policy to permanently resolve the long-pending issues faced by citizens who have invested their hard-earned savings in unauthorized property plots across the state.

During detailed deliberations with residents of such colonies, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that thousands of innocent buyers across Punjab have been suffering because of the actions of colonizers who sold plots in unauthorized colonies and left people to face legal and infrastructural problems. “Thousands of innocent families invested their life savings in plots, only to later discover that they could neither sell the land nor get registries done. They were also deprived of basic facilities such as electricity, water and sewerage connections. These people are victims and deserve justice,” he added.

Drawing a clear distinction between innocent citizens and unscrupulous developers, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “Fraudulent colonizers lured people with attractive brochures and false promises. They sold plots, pocketed the profits and walked away, leaving ordinary citizens to deal with the consequences. At the time of sale, they concealed the fact that electricity meters, roads and sewerage connections could not be sanctioned in these colonies.”

Reiterating his government’s commitment to protecting genuine buyers, the Chief Minister said, “While we will protect innocent citizens who invested their savings due to a lack of awareness, there is absolutely no room for mercy for these rogue colonizers.”

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that strict legal action would be initiated against such colonizers while the Punjab Government would provide relief to affected residents through a uniform policy. “The relief package and policy being prepared will not be restricted to cities like Ludhiana or Patiala. It will be implemented uniformly across the entire state of Punjab so that every affected citizen receives justice,” he said.

The Chief Minister further informed that a dedicated meeting with senior officials would soon be convened to examine the suggestions received from citizens and review all pending legal and financial issues linked to unauthorized colonies. “We will carefully consider the concerns and suggestions put forward by residents so that a practical and long-term solution can be developed,” he added.

Urging people to exercise caution while purchasing property in the future, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Before investing in any real estate project, buyers must conduct proper verification and ensure that the project has been approved by the competent authorities such as PUDA, GMADA or GLADA.”

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of the people, the Chief Minister added, “The Punjab Government is fully committed to protecting the interests of residents. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that innocent citizens are safeguarded and receive the relief they deserve.”

The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday approved a series of key decisions aimed at providing major relief to students appearing in the reconducted NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) examination, generating employment opportunities for youth, strengthening public infrastructure, promoting sustainable waste management and clean energy, and further improving the ease of doing business in the state.

The decisions, taken during a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, include free bus travel for NEET aspirants and one attendant, recruitment of 1,013 lecturers and 156 Junior Engineers (JE), establishment of wet waste-based compressed biogas projects in Patiala and Jalandhar, and key amendments to the Industrial & Business Development Policy, 2026 to boost investment and industrial growth in Punjab.

Disclosing this, the Chief Minister’s Office stated, “The Cabinet has approved a number of important decisions relating to student welfare, education, employment generation, infrastructure development, renewable energy, administrative reforms and industrial growth, reaffirming the Punjab Government’s commitment to public welfare and economic progress.”

In a major relief for students appearing in the NEET UG re-examination, the Cabinet approved free bus travel for candidates and one attendant travelling to examination centres in Punjab and Chandigarh. The NEET examination scheduled for May 3, 2026 was cancelled and has now been rescheduled for June 21, 2026.

To facilitate students and their attendants, Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC buses will provide free travel to and from examination centres in Punjab and Chandigarh on June 20, 21 and 22. Students will only have to show their admit cards to avail the facility and no fare will be charged from them. The financial liability of the free travel facility will be borne by the Transport Department and reimbursed by the Finance Department. The initiative reflects the Punjab Government’s commitment to student welfare, encouraging education and ensuring affordable and accessible public transport services.

1,013 Lecturer Cadre posts to be filled; five-year age relaxation approved

The Cabinet also approved the filling of 1,013 sanctioned vacant posts, including backlog and newly created vacancies, in the Lecturer Cadre (Group-B) through the Education Recruitment Directorate. It also granted a one-time relaxation of five years in the upper age limit for candidates applying for Lecturer Cadre posts in the School Education Department. The move is aimed at creating employment opportunities for youth and further strengthening the quality of education in government schools.

156 Junior Engineer posts approved in Public Works Department

In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the recruitment of 156 Junior Engineers in the Public Works Department, including 127 posts of Junior Engineer (Civil) and 29 posts of Junior Engineer (Electrical). The recruitment is expected to further streamline the functioning of the department by ensuring effective planning, supervision and quality execution of works. All posts will be filled through direct recruitment by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB).

Patiala and Jalandhar to get wet waste-based CBG projects

To promote sustainable waste management and renewable energy generation, the Cabinet approved the award of Wet Waste Based Compressed Biogas (CBG) projects of 100 TPD capacity each at Municipal Corporation Patiala and Municipal Corporation Jalandhar to HPCL Renewable and Green Energy Limited (HPRGE) on a nomination basis.

Punjab generates nearly 4,000 tonnes per day of municipal solid waste across 166 Urban Local Bodies. The projects will facilitate scientific processing of wet waste, reduce landfill burden, improve urban sanitation and public health, generate renewable energy and organic manure, reduce methane emissions and promote a circular economy.

Punjab Civil Services Rules amended to address seniority disputes

The Cabinet also approved an amendment to Rule 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (General and Common Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994. The amendment addresses situations where candidates securing the same merit also have the same date of birth. In such cases, inter se seniority will now be determined on the basis of merit, including final grading or percentage obtained in the minimum educational qualification prescribed for the concerned post.

Industrial & Business Development Policy, 2026 amended to boost investment

In another significant decision aimed at further strengthening Punjab’s industrial ecosystem, the Cabinet approved amendments to the Industrial & Business Development Policy, 2026 and various sectoral policies under the Punjab Udyog Kranti initiative.

The amendments provide that fiscal incentives will apply to existing industrial units instead of only existing MSMEs. They also strengthen provisions relating to industrial clusters, research and development facilities and environment-friendly technologies. A one-time incentive of ₹10 lakh for the first 50 eligible units will now include industries achieving minimum Gold Level ZED Certification or higher, while provisions relating to overall incentive caps in sectoral policies will be treated as indicative and non-statutory.

The reforms are expected to encourage greater investment, strengthen industrial growth and further establish Punjab as one of the country’s most attractive investment destinations.