The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Tuesday approved a direct subsidy of ₹68.50 per quintal for sugarcane farmers for the 2025–26 crushing season.
The subsidy will be paid directly to growers on behalf of private sugar mills and will be in addition to the state-advised price (SAP) of ₹416 per quintal, which remains the highest in the country.
Focusing on public health initiatives, the Cabinet also sanctioned 1,000 additional posts for Yoga Trainers under the ‘CM di Yogshala’ programme, with an allocation of ₹35 crore for the 2026–27 financial year. To strengthen specialised healthcare services, approval was granted for the transfer of Civil Hospitals at village Badal in Muktsar and Khadur Sahib in Tarn Taran, the Community Health Centre in Jalalabad, and the Tertiary Care Centre in Fazilka to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot.
In addition, the Cabinet cleared key measures related to urban development and land reforms. These include the notification of directions under the Punjab Management and Transfer of Municipal Act, 2020, aimed at streamlining the transfer of government-owned land for public purposes. A policy was also approved to allow the sale or exchange of abandoned or active pathways (rastas) and water channels (khals) within licensed projects to facilitate improved urban planning.
