CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Monday cleared a series of administrative and governance reforms aimed at directly easing citizens’ daily interactions with the Punjab government. The Cabinet approved the upgradation of Sub-Tehsil Banur to a full-fledged Tehsil in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district, created Hariana as a new Sub-Tehsil in Hoshiarpur, pushed amendments to modernise land revenue laws through digital records, and granted long-pending relief to Special Teacher Educators under Samagra Shiksha, signalling a clear shift towards citizen-first, service-oriented governance.
Sharing details of the decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister’s Office said the move will significantly ease access to administrative services for residents and reduce the need for long-distance travel for routine official work. The decision has been taken in the larger public interest to ensure faster and more convenient service delivery.
Amendment to Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887
In a major relief to citizens, the Cabinet also approved amendments to the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 concerning the appeals process. The changes are aimed at reducing unnecessary litigation, saving time for litigants, and preventing avoidable harassment of non-litigants.
The amendments will also give legal sanctity to digital records and digital signatures, strengthening citizen-friendly, paperless record-keeping and improving transparency in land administration.
The Cabinet noted that the Punjab Government has already launched the e-services portal https://eservices.punjab.gov.in to simplify land-related procedures. Through this platform, citizens can apply online for Khangi Taqseem (family partition) by submitting basic details through a simple, single-click process. This initiative will help streamline land demarcation, resolve disputes amicably, facilitate buying and selling of land, enable timely compensation for crop damage, and make it easier to obtain Zamabandi copies.
One-Time Age Relaxation for Special Teacher Educators
The Cabinet also approved a one-time relaxation in the upper age limit for contractual Special Teacher Educators working under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan to enable their regularisation in the Department of School Education, Punjab.
This decision will ensure continuity of inclusive education for Children with Special Needs by retaining trained and experienced educators. The Cabinet clarified that this measure will not place any additional financial burden on the state exchequer.
Chairman Punjab Minority Commission Sh. Jatinder Masih Gaurav and Chairman Christian Welfare Board Punjab Sh. Daniel Bhatti also greeted everyone on the holy occasion and thanked Apostle Dr Ankur Yousaf Narula and the Punjab Government. They placed various demands related to the Christian community, which Cabinet Ministers S. Harpal Singh Cheema and Sh. Aman Arora assured to address.
Chairman District Planning Committee Gurdaspur Sh. Joban Randhawa and the District President also extended Christmas greetings to the Christian community. On the occasion, an announcement was made to set up Masih Chowks at Gurdaspur, Batala, Dera Baba Nanak, Dhariwal and Fatehgarh Churian.