DW Bureau  |  Chandigarh:  The Punjab Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Saturday approved the recruitment of 311 nurses in the Health and Family Welfare department, marking a step forward in the government’s mission to strengthen the healthcare delivery system across the state.  

A spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s Office said the decision underscores the government’s commitment to improving patient care and enhancing the capacity of public health institutions. This decision is part of a larger, comprehensive plan to fill key human resource gaps across hospitals and medical institutions.

In addition to this, recruitment of more than 400 additional nurses is currently underway, ensuring that every healthcare facility is adequately staffed to deliver quality nursing care, and these nurses will join before the first week of December.

Pertinently, the government has completed the recruitment of 800 doctors through a transparent process to meet the growing demand for healthcare professionals at both primary and tertiary levels. Over 175 specialist doctors have already been appointed in major disciplines, including paediatrics, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, and surgery, thereby strengthening specialised services in government hospitals.

The Cabinet also gave a nod to revive 16 posts of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and recruitment through the Punjab Public Service Commission for effective implementation of the state and the Government of India schemes related to social security, women, and children.

The Cabinet also gave a green signal to create a separate cadre of employees to be posted in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). It was witnessed over time that a large number of Punjab quota posts remain vacant in the BBMB, due to which the board filled posts of the Punjab quota with its own cadre.

The Cabinet has given its nod to create 2,458 posts for the recruitment for the various departments and to adopt rules in respect of posts of various departments. The Cabinet also gave approval to enhance retirement age for administrative posts filled by promotion from medical teaching faculty in the Department of Medical Education and Research from 62 to 65 years.

The retirement age of medical teaching faculty in the Department of Medical Education and Research was earlier 62 years, but it is 65 years in neighbouring states of Haryana and Chandigarh, besides in Government of India institutions. This will help improve faculty retention and institutional stability, strengthening the medical education ecosystem amid the expansion of medical colleges and enhancing patient services and academic leadership continuity.

The Cabinet also gave concurrence for summoning the 10th special session of the Vidhan Sabha in Anandpur Sahib as part of commemorative events to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The special session will be held at Bhai Jaita ji in the holy city on November 24. The Cabinet also gave approval to launch the Navi Dishaa Scheme to address menstrual hygiene and provide free sanitary napkins to adolescent girls and vulnerable women.

The scheme will focus on awareness, education, behavioural change, and free sanitary napkin distribution to needy women. Under the scheme, free supply of napkins will be ensured to all menstruating women aged 15-44 years, especially to the needy groups such as school dropouts, BPL women, slum dwellers, itinerant communities, and homeless women.

The Cabinet also gave nod to enhance retirement age of Dental Teaching Faculty/Doctors in the Department of Medical Education & Research from 62 to 65 years. This will help in meeting the shortage of teaching faculty in the dental

colleges of the state. The decision is in interest of education of students and health facilities for patients and will fulfil the demand of teaching faculty/Doctors working in dental colleges. The Cabinet also gave green signal to creation of 51 posts of various cadres to functionalize the 30-bedded hospital at Community Health Centre, Doraha. These include 11 posts of Doctors, two of Group B, 30 posts of Pharmacist, Nurses and Clerks along with eight posts of Ward Servant and Sweeper. 

The creation of these new posts will enable the residents of Doraha city and its surrounding villages to access efficient and high-quality healthcare services and facilities. The Cabinet also gave approval to the creation of three new posts for the Department of Sports, Punjab, in the newly formed district of Malerkotla. These posts include Senior Assistant, Steno-Typist and Clerk which will ensure the smooth functioning of the department. It will help in giving fillip to the sports and wean away the youth from the menace of drugs. 

The Cabinet also gave green signal to implement a policy prepared on the pattern of one issued by the Department of Industry and Commerce for fragmentation/ subdivision of industrial plots in the Housing and Urban Development Department.

It will be pivotal to bring parity in the matter of fragmentation/sub- division of industrial plots within the Department of Industries & Commerce and the Department of Housing & Urban Development in the state. As per it the division or sub-division of industrial plots into two or more smaller units is permitted, under which the minimum area of each sub-divided plot must not be less than 500 square yards. 

The Cabinet also gave nod to a policy for lands de-listed under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), with an objective to establish a standardized and transparent framework for the regularization of existing structures and for permitting new low-impact residential units on these de-listed lands. It mandates a minimum plot size of 4,000 square yards and includes stringent controls such as a low Floor Area Ratio (FAR), limited site coverage, and restrictions to G+1 structures. A core principle of the policy is a complete prohibition on any commercial activity and to ensure environmental protection, the policy incorporates robust safeguards such as mandatory plantation of indigenous species, use of sustainable building materials, and provisions for rainwater harvesting and solar energy.