Cabinet committee declares wheat flour as essential commodity

LAHORE:Punjab Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs (SCCLB) in a meeting has given approval of declaration of wheat flour as essential commodity in schedule of the Punjab prevention of speculation in Essential Commodities Act, 2021.

The meeting of the Cabinet Committee was held at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Environmental Protection and Cooperatives Basharat Raja on Thursday. Provincial Law Minister Khurram Shehzad Virk, Minister of Communications and Works Ali Afzal Sahi also participated.

Describing the declaration of wheat flour as an essential commodity as important, the Chairman Committee said that earlier wheat was included in the list of essential commodities but flour was not included.

The meeting also approved expansion in the scope of Walled City Lahore Authority across Punjab and creation of three new centres in the Environment Protection Department in collaboration with the World Bank.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Lahore Metropolitan Corporation and the Saida Municipality of Republic of Lebanon Municipality got also approval of the SCCLB. Basharat Raja said that the Chief Minister will determine the officer who will sign the proposed MoU on behalf of Punjab government.

The Cabinet Committee considered the private bills related to the constitutional amendment on local governments in the National Assembly. In an amendment bill, it has been suggested that local government elections should be held three months before the end of the term of the local bodies.

Provincial Minister Ali Afzal Sahi objected that such a proposal is not feasible. Another private constitutional amendment bill presented by some MNAs has also proposed to keep the minimum suspension of local bodies for 60 days. Basharat Raja said that the Punjab Cabinet will take the final decision on these private bills.

The SCCLB approved an amendment to an Act, after which the Pro Vice Chancellor of Pir Meher Ali Shah Arid University, like other universities, can be made a member of the syndicate. In the meeting, the amendment to the Agriculture University Faisalabad Act was also approved.

Basharat said that with the amendment, the University Grants Commission will be replaced by the Higher Education Commission. The committee also approved the amendment of the Nawaz Sharif Agricultural University Multan Act 2013 and the agreement between the Food Department and the federal agency PASCO for imported wheat.

Secretary Environment Protection Usman Ali Khan told the meeting that the World Bank is ready to support in setting up of three environmental centres namely Environmental Monitoring Centre, Environmental Policy Centre and Environmental Technology Centre to deal with environmental problems in Punjab.