The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab announced on Thursday, 11 June 2026 that the Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has approved the recruitment of 156 Junior Engineers in the Public Works Department (PWD) — a decision the government says will strengthen infrastructure delivery across the state.

What Was Approved

The cabinet cleared 127 posts of Junior Engineer (Civil) and 29 posts of Junior Engineer (Electrical), together accounting for the full 156 sanctioned positions. All posts will be filled through direct recruitment conducted by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB), the statutory body responsible for merit-based selection to Group B and C posts in the state government. The official announcement stated that the recruitment is expected to 'further streamline the functioning of the department by ensuring effective planning, supervision and quality execution of works.'

Context

The Public Works Department of Punjab oversees the construction, maintenance and supervision of roads, bridges and government buildings across the state. Chronic understaffing in its technical cadre has long been cited as a factor slowing project execution and affecting quality oversight on the ground. Since taking office in March 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party government under Bhagwant Mann has consistently positioned transparent, board-driven recruitment as a priority — particularly for technical departments where vacancies had accumulated over several years.

Policy Backdrop

Routing the recruitment through PSSSB rather than departmental discretion reflects a broader state policy, announced after 2022, of filling long-pending technical vacancies through a competitive, merit-based process. The board conducts written examinations and structured selection, reducing scope for arbitrary appointments. Across India, state governments periodically approve direct recruitment of junior engineers to address staffing gaps in public works agencies — gaps that directly affect the pace and quality of infrastructure projects funded by both state and central budgets. Punjab's cabinet decision follows this established pattern, with the PSSSB process adding a layer of procedural transparency.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most immediate beneficiaries are engineering graduates in Punjab who have been awaiting government recruitment opportunities in the civil and electrical streams. For the PWD, the infusion of 156 junior engineers is expected to improve on-site supervision and technical planning capacity — functions that are critical for timely completion of road and building projects. Civil society groups and contractors working with the department have previously flagged that vacancy-driven supervision gaps lead to delays and quality lapses. The new hires, once in place, are intended to address exactly these operational bottlenecks.

What's Next

The immediate next step is a formal PSSSB recruitment notification specifying eligibility criteria, the application window and the written examination schedule. Candidates will be watching for the notification on the board's official portal. The cabinet's move may also prompt follow-up approvals for vacancies in other engineering wings of the state government, continuing the Mann administration's stated agenda of filling technical posts across departments.