Punjab approves recruitment of 532 prison staff to address jail shortages
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, December 24, 2025: The Punjab Government has approved the direct recruitment of 532 personnel in the state’s Prisons Department to tackle long-pending staff shortages and strengthen jail security.
Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said the recruitment includes 475 Warders and 57 Matrons, filling vacancies that have remained unoccupied for over a year. The posts will be filled through the Subordinate Services Selection (SSS) Board and will run parallel to an ongoing recruitment process for 451 Warders and 20 Matrons.
The approval also factors in seven additional Warder posts expected to fall vacant due to retirements by December 31, 2026.
Cheema said the Prisons Department has been facing acute manpower shortages, forcing existing staff to work double shifts. While broader restructuring of the department is still underway, he said immediate recruitment was necessary to ensure smooth operations and basic security inside jails.