Controlling inflation foremost priority: minister

LAHORE :The foremost priority of caretaker government was to control inflation and ensure availability of flour at subsidised rates in the province, the minister said and added that any sort of propaganda about the caretaker government would not be taken seriously.

The responsibility of caretaker government was to hold fair, impartial and transparent elections in a free environment according to the directions of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Caretaker Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Amir Mir expressed these views while giving a briefing to the media representatives here on Saturday.

He said the government would ensure to implement the directions, which would be given by the Election Commission to hold general elections.

The interim government would carry forward the continuity of performing administrative affairs and public welfare projects in the province, he added.

He said that postings and transfers on government posts were being made on the basis of performance and their is no element of any prejudice in this regard, he maintained.

The minister apprised media representatives that the Punjab government was going to launch a crackdown to stop usage of narcotics and addiction proned medicines in the educational institutions.

Furthermore, it was decided to undertake continuous operation in the Kacha areas in order to control increasing dacoity incidents so that after carrying out one operation the dacoit groups should not be given an opportunity to regroup and reunite, he asserted.

Amir Mir apprised that it was decided during the Cabinet meeting to enhance allocated funds in order to increase morale of police force and approval to allocate rupees one billion funds has been given for the said purpose.

The monthly financial assistance for the widows of police personnel has been increased from rupees 2500 to rupees 25,000, he outlined.

The caretaker government was promoting to hold open kutcheries so as to provide easy public access to the administrative departments and Inspector General of Police has been issued special directions in this regard, he added.

The minister while replying to the questions of journalists apprised that the caretaker Punjab government would provide security to the former prime minister according to the constitution and the services of CTO would be availed to resolve traffic problems outside Zaman Park.