Chandigarh, June 17: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday announced a major policy change ensuring that women government employees in Group C and D categories will be stationed within a maximum radius of 40 kilometers from their homes. The decision takes effect once these employees complete their mandatory probation period. Thousands of frontline workers, including school teachers, staff nurses, and police personnel, are set to benefit from the new deployment strategy designed to support working women across the state.
The administration has already initiated the procedural framework to implement the guidelines across all state departments. According to official plans, the 40-kilometer limit serves as an upper ceiling, meaning future deployments could place workers even closer to their families, potentially within 15 to 20 kilometers of their residences.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann affirmed that the policy directly addresses the long-standing traveling difficulties faced by female personnel. “I have personally interacted with several women employees who informed me that they are posted almost 200 kilometres away from their homes,” the Chief Minister declared. “Due to this, they are able to meet their families only two days a week and face immense difficulties. Therefore, our government has decided to formulate a policy under which women employees belonging to Group C and D categories, including staff nurses, teachers and women police personnel, will be posted within a maximum radius of 40 kilometres from their homes after completion of probation.”
Under the new guidelines, employees will receive flexibility in choosing their preferred base location during the official application process. The state administration intends for the change to drastically cut down daily commuting times and boost workplace morale.
The Chief Minister asserted that a supportive environment naturally leads to better public service. “Women employees will be able to indicate either their parental home or marital home while filling official forms,” the Chief Minister maintained. “The objective is to ensure that they can reach their families within about an hour because a happy employee always performs better. Forty kilometres is only the upper limit and postings can be even closer, such as 15 or 20 kilometres.”
This employee welfare measure reflects ongoing communication between the state leadership and the public sector workforce. Government personnel regularly share their field experiences with the administration, helping shape targeted policies that address everyday operational challenges.
