Chandigarh, July 8 —To boost local employment, the Board of Directors of the Chandigarh State Cooperative Bank Limited has approved an 85% reservation for city residents — either born in Chandigarh or domiciled — across all categories of recruitment, including regular, contractual, part-time, and outsourced positions.
The decision was taken during a board meeting held Monday under the chairmanship of Satinderpal Singh Sidhu.
“This step is a corrective measure to ensure fair opportunities for our youngsters,” said Sidhu. “Despite Chandigarh serving as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, its youth are not given preference in jobs by either state. We aim to address that imbalance.”
Under the revised hiring policy, only 15% of the total positions will be open to candidates from outside Chandigarh, with preference given to applicants from neighbouring states such as Punjab and Haryana.
Sidhu also pointed out that many Indian states — including Punjab and Haryana — already prioritise their own residents in government and public sector employment. “Our policy aligns with what is already being practised elsewhere. It’s time Chandigarh residents are given the same consideration,” he said.
In the same meeting, the Board also approved an updated loan policy and sanctioned the upgrade of the bank’s Sector 22 branch to improve customer services and infrastructure.
The recruitment reservation is expected to benefit thousands of local youth and marks a broader trend toward state-level employment protection measures.
