Punjab abolishes 30,000 education posts, thousands more across departments ahead of budget

The Punjab government has abolished thousands of long-vacant posts across multiple departments ahead of the upcoming provincial budget, including around 30,000 positions in the School Education Department, according to a news report. 

Officials said the posts had remained unfilled for several years but continued to appear in budget documents as salary allocations. Their removal is aimed at aligning expenditures with actual staffing and reducing the fiscal burden.

In addition to the education sector, 5,199 posts have been abolished in the Agriculture Department, over 300 in the Directorate General Public Relations, and around 200 in the Information and Culture Department. Cuts have also been made in Health, Forestry, Irrigation, Housing, Special Education and Prosecution departments.

The Finance Department is also considering removing up to 100,000 additional vacant posts before June 30 as part of a broader restructuring plan.

The decision has drawn criticism from teachers’ groups, unions and political parties, which argue that vacant positions should have been filled to address staff shortages in schools and public services. They warned that the move could limit employment opportunities and increase pressure on existing employees.