The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Monday approved an amendment to the Service Rules of the Election Department to strengthen the state’s election machinery ahead of the next Punjab Legislative Assembly elections.The move is aimed at removing administrative bottlenecks, facilitating the smooth conduct of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and filling crucial vacancies in the department to ensure adequate manpower for election-related work.The decision was taken during a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by the Chief Minister here.Sharing details, the Chief Minister’s Office said the Cabinet had approved a proposal to reduce the minimum experience required for promotion from the post of Election Kanungo to Election Tehsildar from 15 years to 12 years.The amendment has been necessitated due to seven vacant posts of Election Tehsildar in the department. With the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls currently underway and Assembly elections on the horizon, the services of Election Tehsildars are required urgently to ensure the smooth functioning of election-related activities.At present, none of the serving Election Kanungoes are eligible for promotion under the existing rule that mandates 15 years of service.By lowering the eligibility requirement to 12 years, the government expects to create a pool of eligible officers who can be promoted in the near future, enabling the department to fill vacancies and strengthen its workforce.Officials said the decision would help improve administrative efficiency and ensure that election-related responsibilities are carried out without disruption.Water resources department report approvedThe Cabinet also approved the Annual Administrative Report of the Department of Water Resources for the financial year 2025-26.According to the government, the approval will facilitate documentation and review of the department’s administrative functioning, initiatives and achievements during the year.