It is also probable that the Bhagwant Mann government will include ₹1,000 per month for all women in the budget, as one of its election pledges.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema told the media that the Governor’s speech will open the session, followed on March 6 by the obituary references.
According to Cheema, the budget will be unveiled on Sunday, March 8, which is International Women’s Day. According to him, the governor’s speech will be discussed on March 9 and the budget will be discussed on March 10–11.
According to Cheema, the Cabinet also approved compensating farmers who have been farming on government land for agricultural damage brought on by floods in 2025.
As to the ruling, farmers who had their crop damage evaluated during the 2025 special “girdawari” but were not compensated will now receive the relief sum. He stated that this will be a one-time humanitarian move that will not in any way grant proprietary rights.
Therefore, compensation will be paid to the individual or legal heirs who were listed in the “khasra girdawari” before September 25, 2015, if they are still cultivating the land or his heirs are.
There will be no reimbursement if there is a change in possession that does not match the 2015 revenue records. In order to award compensation to eligible farmers, a committee consisting of the panchayat head, “Nambardar,” and “Patwari” would verify the status and submit a report.
Additionally, the Cabinet gave its approval to extend the one-time settlement plan’s validity from December 31, 2025, to June 30, 2026, as announced on March 13, 2025.
This extension will only be applicable to plots assigned to PSUs and government departments, as well as to allottees who are eligible to pay their debts under the OTS scheme and who have had their plots restored by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation board of directors after filing appeals for plot restoration under the May 7, 2025 policy.
The cabinet also established a reward system for apprehending wanted criminals. By institutionalizing a clear and organized process for awarding rewards, this action seeks to encourage informers and honor the efforts of law enforcement in capturing wanted offenders.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved the addition of two vice-chairperson positions to the Economic Policy and Planning Board, increasing its number from three to five. This will facilitate sector-specific attention, enhanced scheme monitoring, enhanced departmental and district planning committee collaboration, and expedited decision-making.
According to the minister, the Cabinet also agreed giving Covid volunteers who worked at the Department of Health and Family Welfare during the pandemic the benefit of extra marks and a waiver in the maximum age restriction.
Employees who work under the department on a contractual or outsourced basis will also receive the benefit in lieu of Group-C and Group-D open positions. This benefit, which treats the services provided during the COVID epidemic as relevant experience, will be available for direct hiring from the present year until December 31, 2026.
The Cabinet also approved the department’s plan to resurrect and fill 361 open staff nursing positions. These are 137 positions that have been unfilled for less than a year and 224 positions that have been unfilled for more than a year.
