Chandigarh, June 2: Critical vacancies within the Punjab Election Department will soon be filled following a cabinet decision on Monday to adjust departmental service rules. The administration, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, lowered the promotion threshold for field officials to guarantee adequate manpower for upcoming electoral duties and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voting registers.
The policy shift reduces the required service time for an Election Kanungo climbing to the rank of Election Tehsildar by three full years. Eligible personnel will now qualify for advancement after 12 years of service rather than the traditional 15 years.
“None of the presently serving Election Kanungoes are eligible for promotion under the existing rules,” the Chief Minister’s Office asserted, adding that the adjustment was a necessary measure to modernise the department’s operational capabilities.
With seven Election Tehsildar positions sitting completely empty, the state lacked the localized leadership necessary to oversee the impending Punjab Legislative Assembly elections. The Department of Elections proposed the rule change to quickly place experienced staff into these vacant roles, resolving severe administrative bottlenecks.
In a separate development from the same executive meeting, the cabinet greenlit the 2025-26 Annual Administrative Report for the Department of Water Resources. Government representatives maintained that the acceptance of this report allows the state to properly compile, evaluate, and archive the water department’s operational performance and public projects from the previous financial period.
