Punjab Cabinet amends election rules to strengthen machinery
Chandigarh, June 1
The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Monday took a step to strengthen the state's election machinery ahead of the forthcoming legislative Assembly elections by approving an amendment to the service rules of the Election Department.
The decision removes long-pending administrative bottlenecks, facilitates a smooth, hassle-free Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and paves the way to fill crucial vacancies to ensure adequate manpower for election-related work.
The Cabinet also approved the Annual Administrative Report of the Department of Water Resources for 2025-26.
Sharing details of the decision, the Chief Minister's Office said the amendment to the Service Rules of the Election Department enabled reducing the experience required for promotion from the post of election 'kanungo' to 'tehsildar' from 15 years to 12 years.
The amendment was necessitated due to the existence of seven vacancies for the post of election 'tehsildar' in the department. With the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the upcoming elections, the services of election 'tehsildars' are required immediately to ensure smooth election-related work.
None of the presently serving election 'kanungoes' are eligible for promotion under the existing rules, which require 15 years of experience. The department had proposed reducing the required experience to 12 years so that eligible election 'kanungoes' can be promoted in the future and the vacant posts can be filled to strengthen the election machinery.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved the Department of Water Resources' Annual Administrative Report. The approval of the report will facilitate the documentation and review of the department's administrative functioning and achievements during the financial year.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While this amendment to election service rules is welcome, I hope the Punjab Cabinet is also looking at the bigger picture—like ensuring electronic voting machines are secure and there's no scope for manipulation. Appointing more tehsildars is good but only if they are trained properly. And that Water Resources report approval seems like routine paperwork. 🤔
Good move by CM Bhagwant Mann's govt. In Punjab, we need strong election machinery because things can get heated quickly during assembly polls. Reducing the experience requirement will help fill those vacancies faster. But I just hope promotions are based on merit and not on political connections. Time will tell. 🙏
Interesting development. From a governance perspective, reducing the experience requirement from 15 to 12 years seems pragmatic to address immediate staffing needs for the upcoming elections. However, I wonder if this could set a precedent for other states to dilute service rules for expediency. Punjab should ensure transparency in the promotion process.
As someone who has worked in the Punjab administration, I can tell you that these 7 vacant tehsildar posts were causing delays in electoral roll revisions. Reducing the experience bar is a necessary fix, but why was there a delay for so long? The Water Resources report approval is a side note—let's hope the govt focuses on actual water management issues instead of just paperwork. 😊
This is a classic case of bureaucracy being slow, and now they're patching it with rule changes. The SIR of electoral rolls is critical—every eligible voter must be on the list. While I support the amendment
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