Punjab Cabinet clears Ranjitgarh Development Authority Bill for eco-tourism push around Ranjit Sagar Damਪੰਜਾਬ ਕੈਬਨਿਟ ਨੇ ਰਣਜੀਤਗੜ੍ਹ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਅਥਾਰਟੀ ਬਿੱਲ ਨੂੰ ਮਨਜ਼ੂਰੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ

What the Ranjitgarh Bill does

The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Monday approved the Ranjitgarh Development Authority (RDA) Bill, 2026. The Bill provides for the establishment of the Ranjitgarh Development Authority for the planned, sustainable and eco-tourism-oriented development of the Ranjit Sagar Dam and Shahpur Kandi Dam areas.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, the authority will be constituted as a statutory body under the administrative control of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. It will be vested with the requisite administrative, financial and regulatory powers for integrated development, land management, project implementation and destination governance in the dam regions.

Who will run the authority

The new authority will be chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann himself, with the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs serving as Vice-Chairman. An Executive Committee headed by the Chief Secretary will oversee its day-to-day functioning and inter-departmental coordination.

Both the Ranjit Sagar Dam on the Ravi and the Shahpur Kandi Dam are in the Pathankot region, close to the international border — a belt the state government has been trying to open up for tourism for years. The authority's mandate is to turn the reservoir and hill surroundings into a managed eco-tourism destination rather than leaving development piecemeal.

Other decisions taken by the Cabinet

The Cabinet also approved the creation of new driver posts in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab. The posts have been created by surrendering peon posts from among 19 permanent positions and one permanent post of Moharrir, a move aimed at streamlining the functioning of the election office.

In a decision affecting nursing education, the Cabinet approved an amendment to Appendix-B of the Punjab Nursing Education Service Rules (Group B), 2016. The posts of tutor in the Government College of Nursing, Patiala, and the Government College of Nursing, Amritsar, under the Department of Medical Education and Research, will now be filled through promotion from among regularly serving staff nurses and nursing sisters who have obtained an M.Sc degree.

The Cabinet also gave the go-ahead for regularising the services of contractual non-teaching staff under the Punjab Information and Communication Technology Education Society (PICTES), and took up development projects for Pathankot district, the Finance Minister's office said after the meeting.

What is the Ranjitgarh Development Authority?

The Ranjitgarh Development Authority will be Punjab's dedicated statutory body for developing the Ranjit Sagar Dam and Shahpur Kandi Dam belt in Pathankot into a planned eco-tourism destination, with powers over land management, projects and destination governance.

Why did the Cabinet choose the dam areas?

The Ranjit Sagar and Shahpur Kandi dam regions have reservoir, hills and forest surroundings the government considers underdeveloped as tourism assets. A dedicated authority is meant to develop them in a planned, sustainable way instead of scattered one-off projects.

Who will chair the new authority?

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will chair the authority, with the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister as Vice-Chairman and an Executive Committee headed by the Chief Secretary running day-to-day work.

What else did Monday's Cabinet approve?

Besides the Bill, the Cabinet cleared new driver posts in the Chief Electoral Officer's office, nursing tutor promotions through amended service rules, and regularisation of PICTES non-teaching staff.