The Punjab government has abolished 10,898 vacant positions in the Health and Population Department as part of a broader administrative restructuring and expenditure reduction strategy.
According to an official notification dated June 24, 2026, the decision applies to both permanent and temporary positions that remained vacant and inactive for a prolonged period.
These positions ranged from Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 1 to BPS 16 and will now be removed from the department’s sanctioned workforce.
The government described the measure as an effort to streamline operations, improve administrative efficiency, and reduce long-term financial liabilities.
However, the move may also lower the number of government opportunities available through future recruitment.
Existing Employees Will Continue Their Roles
Officials clarified that the restructuring only affects unoccupied positions and does not impact serving employees.
Therefore, employees currently working in active roles within the Health and Population Department will continue their responsibilities without interruption.
Authorities emphasised that the decision does not involve layoffs or workforce reductions among existing staff.
Instead, the focus remains on eliminating inactive posts that no longer serve operational requirements.
As a result, the government expects to create a more efficient departmental structure while maintaining service delivery.
Restructuring Comes After Departmental Merger
This development follows the Punjab government’s decision to merge the Population Welfare Department with the Health Department in March 2025.
The merger formed part of a broader austerity and governance reform agenda designed to optimise departmental functions and reduce overlapping responsibilities.
After the integration process began, authorities conducted a review of staffing structures across the combined department.
During that assessment, officials identified overlapping, vacant, and inactive positions and moved toward reorganising the workforce accordingly.
Surplus Pool Created as New Structure Takes Shape
Reports suggest that the Services and General Administration Department placed 180 officers from the former Population Welfare Department into a surplus pool.
Under this arrangement, employees remain within government service until authorities absorb or redeploy them into suitable positions elsewhere.
At the same time, the reorganised structure reportedly received approval for 6,629 positions to support departmental operations under the new framework.
Officials expect this revised setup to align staffing needs more closely with administrative priorities.
Health and Population Services Will Continue
Authorities maintained that the abolition of vacant posts will not affect health or population welfare services across Punjab.
According to officials, none of the removed positions included employees currently serving in active departmental cadres.
Existing programmes will continue operating, while newly introduced initiatives will remain part of service delivery plans.
In addition, trained health professionals and field workers will continue performing their duties across the province.
The government stated that these administrative adjustments aim to improve efficiency without disrupting public access to essential services.
Part of Punjab’s Wider Administrative Reform Plan
The decision also forms part of a wider provincial campaign to remove long-vacant positions before the start of the new financial year.
Alongside this restructuring, the administration has reviewed staffing structures in education and other government institutions.
Through these reforms, authorities aim to strengthen fiscal management while creating leaner administrative systems.
At the same time, officials insist that public services and institutional performance will remain unaffected.
The latest move reflects the government’s broader effort to balance operational efficiency with long-term financial sustainability.
