Chandigarh, Aug 29 (IANS): The Punjab Cabinet, in a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday decided to amend the Punjab Panchayat Election Rules, 1994, to bar the use of party symbols in panchayat polls.

The AAP government also gave consent to increase the number of Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officers by 59.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema told the media here that the government approved an amendment to the Punjab Panchayat Election Rules and with this, elections in Punjab will not be held on party symbols.

The amendment to Section 12 of the Punjab Panchayat Election Rules has been approved and the measure will now be tabled in the forthcoming Assembly session for approval.

A discussion on bringing this amendment was held in the previous Cabinet meeting too. With the amendment, contestants have been barred from using political party symbols during the rural body elections. Now the election of the sarpanchs and the panchs will be fought without the symbols of political parties. Elections for 13,241 panchayats in the state are expected by the end of September, the time by-elections for four Assembly seats are likely to be held.

The Finance Minister said the number of the PCS officers has been increased to 369 from 310, as their strength has not been increased in the past eight years.

The recruitment process for the new PCS posts will start soon, said Cheema, adding the creation of additional districts had necessitated the creation of more posts.

Besides, the Cabinet sanctioned 36 posts of judicial officers for setting up a sessions court in Malerkotla.

It has also been decided to create a water-recharge well on 20 acres along the seasonal Ghaggar river at Chandu village to prevent flooding. It has also been decided to fill 435 vacant posts of doctors, including house surgeons.