Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
The Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has taken a significant step towards creating new employment opportunities for the state’s youth and strengthening Punjab’s representation in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The Punjab Cabinet has approved the departmental service rules for the separate cadre comprising 2,452 posts proposed for the board. The decision, taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, paves the way for advancing the process of direct recruitment to these positions.
According to a spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s Office, BBMB was constituted as a statutory body under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, to manage projects related to the Bhakra and Beas dams. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan are partner states in the board. These states depute their officers and employees to various positions in BBMB.
The government said that despite a prescribed quota, several posts allocated to Punjab in BBMB often remain vacant. Employees from other states are subsequently appointed against these vacancies. At the same time, Punjab contributes 40 per cent of the board’s total expenditure. The state government felt the need to establish a separate cadre to address the gap between Punjab’s financial contribution and its representation in the workforce.
The Cabinet had approved the creation of a special cadre comprising 2,452 posts for BBMB at its meeting held on November 15, 2025. Recruitment rules and other service conditions for appointments to these positions were subsequently prepared. With the latest approval of the departmental service rules, an important procedural step towards initiating the recruitment process has been completed.
The government said the decision would provide qualified young people from Punjab with opportunities to secure employment in BBMB through direct recruitment. It would also help ensure appropriate representation of Punjab’s employees in the board and strengthen the state's rightful share in its functioning.
