Punjab Cabinet approves free bus travel for NEET students, attendants
Chandigarh, June 10
The Punjab Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Wednesday approved a series of key decisions aimed at providing major relief to students appearing in the re-conducted NEET examination, besides generating employment opportunities for the youth, strengthening public infrastructure, promoting sustainable waste management and clean energy.
The decisions include free bus travel for NEET aspirants and one attendant, recruitment of 1,013 lecturers and 156 Junior Engineers (JEs), establishment of wet waste-based compressed biogas projects in Patiala and Jalandhar, and key amendments to the Industrial and Business Development Policy, 2026, to boost investment and industrial growth.
The Chief Minister's Office said the Cabinet approved a number of important decisions relating to student welfare, education, employment generation, infrastructure development, renewable energy, administrative reforms and industrial growth, reaffirming the government's commitment to public welfare and economic progress.
To facilitate students and their attendants, state-run Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC buses will provide free travel to and from examination centres in Punjab and Chandigarh on June 20, 21 and 22.
Students will only have to show their admit cards to avail themselves of the facility and no fare will be charged from them.
The Cabinet also approved the filling of 1,013 sanctioned vacant posts, including backlog and newly created vacancies, in the Lecturer Cadre (Group-B) through the Education Recruitment Directorate.
It also granted a one-time relaxation of five years in the upper age limit for candidates applying for Lecturer Cadre posts in the School Education Department.
The move is aimed at creating employment opportunities for youth and further strengthening the quality of education in government schools.
In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the recruitment of 156 Junior Engineers in the Public Works Department, including 127 posts of Junior Engineer (Civil) and 29 posts of Junior Engineer (Electrical).
The recruitment is expected to further streamline the functioning of the department by ensuring effective planning, supervision and quality execution of works.
All posts will be filled through direct recruitment by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB).
To promote sustainable waste management and renewable energy generation, the Cabinet approved the award of wet waste-based compressed biogas (CBG) projects of 100 TPD capacity each at the Municipal Corporations of Patiala and Jalandhar to HPCL Renewable and Green Energy Ltd (HPRGE) on a nomination basis.
Punjab generates nearly 4,000 tonnes per day of municipal solid waste across 166 Urban Local Bodies.
The projects will facilitate scientific processing of wet waste, reduce landfill burden, improve urban sanitation and public health, generate renewable energy and organic manure, reduce methane emissions and promote a circular economy.
The Cabinet also approved an amendment to Rule 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (General and Common Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994.
The amendment addresses situations where candidates securing the same merit also have the same date of birth.
In such cases, inter se seniority will now be determined on the basis of merit, including final grading or percentage obtained in the minimum educational qualification prescribed for the post concerned.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good move, but I hope the state also focuses on improving the quality of these government schools where they are recruiting 1,013 lecturers. Hiring is important, but without proper infrastructure and resources, it's just a half-step. Let's see how this actually translates on the ground.
As a parent of a NEET aspirant, this free bus travel is a huge relief! 😌 NEET already puts so much pressure on families. Thank you Punjab government for thinking about students. Really appreciate this step!
I'm happy about the 156 Junior Engineer posts being filled. We have so many qualified engineers in Punjab waiting for government jobs. This will give them a good career start. Also, the biogas projects in Patiala and Jalandhar are a smart move for waste management and green energy. 👍
Interesting to see India's state governments getting active on sustainable waste-to-energy projects. Punjab's compresses biogas initiative could be a model for other states. Free travel for students is a nice touch too - shows they're thinking about the whole ecosystem of student welfare.
While I appreciate the free travel, I'm a bit skeptical about the 5-year age relaxation for lecturer candidates. This might help some but could also lead to more competition. Hope the government ensures that the recruitment process is fair and transparent. Also, more needs to be done for students from lower-income families.
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