Chandigarh— The Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved the upgradation of Banur sub-tehsil following a meeting held at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence. Several important administrative decisions were taken during the meeting, including granting tehsil status to areas in SAS Nagar and Hoshiarpur districts.
Sharing details of the decisions, Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said that Banur sub-tehsil has been upgraded to a sub-divisional tehsil in response to a long-pending public demand. Residents had been facing difficulties due to the limited administrative setup, prompting the government to take this step.
Under the new structure, the Banur sub-divisional tehsil will have two kanungos, 14 patwaris, and administrative jurisdiction over 40 villages. Additionally, a new sub-tehsil named Haryana has been created, which will include two kanungos, 12 patwaris, and 50 villages.
The Cabinet also approved the creation of a new Haryana tehsil in Hoshiarpur district. This tehsil will comprise 12 patwar circles, two kanungo circles, and 50 villages. Alongside these changes, amendments to the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1888, were also cleared.
Minister Mundian stated that land records will now be maintained digitally, and approval has been granted to expedite the implementation of the ‘Mera Ghar, Mera Naam’ scheme. Necessary amendments to the scheme were also approved to ensure faster execution.
Addressing another issue, Mundian said that a special session of the Punjab Assembly has been convened on December 30 to oppose changes made by the central government to the MGNREGA scheme, including its renaming and new conditions. He alleged that the central government’s policies have created confusion among poor and working-class families.
He added that the Punjab government will demand in the Assembly that MGNREGA continue in its original form. The government has reiterated its opposition to the central government’s new framework titled ‘Viksit Bharat Ji-RAM Ji’, stating that it threatens the livelihood of rural labourers.
Earlier, on December 19, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also raised concerns through a post on social media platform X, warning that changes to MGNREGA could adversely affect the livelihoods of poor families dependent on the scheme.