The Punjab Cabinet on Monday, October 5, approved the Ranjitgarh Development Authority (RDA) Bill, 2026, paving the way for planned, sustainable and eco-tourism-oriented development around the Ranjit Sagar Dam and Shahpur Kandi Dam areas.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. The proposed authority will oversee the integrated development of areas surrounding the two dams, with a focus on tourism, land management and destination development.
Ranjitgarh Development Authority to oversee dam-area development
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the government plans to develop the area around Ranjit Sagar Lake in Pathankot district according to world-class standards.
The lake area spans around 305 acres in Punjab, and the government aims to develop it as a major tourism destination. Cheema said the authority has been constituted with the objective of attracting a large number of tourists to the region in the future.
The RDA will be established as a statutory body under the administrative control of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. It will have administrative, financial and regulatory powers for integrated development, land management, project implementation and destination governance.
The authority is expected to provide an institutional framework for coordinating development activities in the dam areas. Its responsibilities will include overseeing projects, managing land-related matters and ensuring coordination between different government departments involved in tourism and infrastructure development.
The development plan is also aimed at promoting the tourism potential of the region while ensuring that projects are implemented in a planned manner. The focus on eco-tourism is expected to support the development of the areas around the reservoirs as organised tourism destinations.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will serve as the Chairman of the authority, while the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs will be its Vice-Chairman. An Executive Committee headed by the Chief Secretary will handle the authority’s day-to-day functioning and coordination between departments.
The proposed institutional structure will bring various administrative functions related to development under a dedicated authority. This is intended to facilitate faster coordination and implementation of projects connected with tourism, infrastructure and destination management in the region.
Punjab Cabinet approves other decisions
The Cabinet also approved the creation of new driver posts in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab. The posts will be created by surrendering 19 permanent peon posts and one permanent Moharrir post.
The Cabinet further approved an amendment to Appendix-B of the Punjab Nursing Education Service Rules (Group B), 2016, allowing tutor posts at government colleges of nursing in Patiala and Amritsar to be filled through promotion.
The posts will be filled from among regular staff nurses and nursing sisters working under the Director, Research and Medical Education, Punjab, who hold an M.Sc. (Nursing) in the relevant speciality. Preference will be given to candidates with one year of teaching experience in nursing education.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for the regularisation of contractual non-teaching staff working under the Punjab Information and Communication Technology Education Society (PICTES). Eligible employees will receive regularisation benefits under the prescribed pay scales.