Punjab Cabinet Approves Merger of Panchayat Secretaries and Gram Sevaks into New ‘Panchayat Development Secretary’ Post
Chandigarh, August 14, 2025: The Punjab Government has given in-principle approval to merge the cadres of Panchayat Secretaries and Gram Sevaks to create the new post of Panchayat Development Secretary, fulfilling a long-pending demand of Panchayat Secretaries across the state.
With this decision, salaries and pensions will now be paid directly from the state treasury, and a clear promotion pathway will open — from Panchayat Development Secretary to Social Education and Panchayat Officer (SEPO), to Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), and onwards to District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO).
The announcement was welcomed by the Panchayat Secretaries’ Union, Punjab led by chairman Bhupinder Singh, who called it a historic victory for their community. He expressed gratitude to Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Administrative Secretary Ajit Bala Joshi, Director Uma Shankar Gupta, Deputy Directors Arun Kumar Sharma and Harmandeep Singh, Law Officer Joharinder Singh Ahluwalia, Under Secretary Balwinder Kaur, Superintendent Jagtar Singh, and Senior Assistant Amandeep Singh for their support.
Bhupinder Singh also acknowledged the contributions of former union leaders Gurjeevan Singh Brar, Mangat Singh, Jaspal Singh Bath, Nirmal Singh Rita, and Rampal Singh Rita. He thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for approving the measure and assured full cooperation from Panchayat Secretaries in realising the state government’s vision for a “Rangla Punjab.”
Currently, Panchayat Secretaries serve as executive heads in approximately 13,500 gram panchayats across 154 blocks, implementing state and central government schemes at the grassroots level and playing a crucial role in rural development.