Pathankot

Chandigarh, 5 October 2026: Punjab Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, cleared several decisions on Monday. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema shared the details after the meeting.

Election work gets support. Cabinet approved creating new posts in the office of Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab. The government says this will help speed up election-related work and official functioning. This comes at a time when the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of the 2026 electoral rolls is already running in the state. For voters, this means smoother handling of roll revisions and related processes.

Nursing rules updated. Cabinet also approved changes to the Punjab Nursing Education Service Rules, 2016. Cheema explained that after the 2021 restructuring of the nursing education department, new service rules were not framed. About 1,467 nursing staff were recruited during this period. Employees had been facing real difficulties over promotions and service matters. Now, with the amended rules in place, things should be clearer. Punjab Nurses Registration Council also handles nursing education, registration and professional standards work.

Non-teaching staff regularised. Another decision makes non-teaching employees working under PITS permanent by bringing their services under the society. This gives job stability to employees who have served for a long time. Computer teachers had already been brought under the society earlier. The move now covers the remaining non-teaching employees too.

Tourism push for Pathankot. Cabinet also discussed developing Punjab's tourism sector, with focus on Pathankot and its surrounding areas. Sitting close to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, Pathankot is a busy travel hub with a steady flow of tourists heading to hill destinations. The government feels that highlighting natural and historical attractions here can create jobs and lift the local economy.

Cheema said the decisions aim to strengthen administrative setups, fix employee-related problems and push development across different areas in the state.