Revenue reforms on priority basis, says SMBR

LAHORE: Senior Member Board of Revenue Punjab Nabeel Javed has said that reforms on revenue will be started on a priority basis and the performance of officers of all districts will also be reviewed.

A special cell will be set up in the Board of Revenue to check the performance of officers and will also make surprise visits to all districts. These views were expressed by SMBR Punjab Nabeel Javed while presiding over a meeting in the committee room. Secretary Revenue Mehr Shafqatullah Mushtaq and other officers gave a detailed briefing to SMBR about the department. Board members, Board of Secretaries, PDMA officers, Kachi Abadi, Punjab Land Record Authority participated in the meeting.

SMBR Punjab Nabeel Javed while talking to the officers said that steps should be taken to improve service delivery regarding revenue across Punjab and the protection of citizens' rights should be ensured. He said that is the most important responsibility to complete the target of revenue recovery and advance steps should be taken to ensure the process of digital gardwari in a timely manner. He said that the numbering system would be made fully functional and all the members should play their due role in speedy disposal of the pending cases in the revenue courts. Decisions should be made on merit in a short span of time so that citizens could maintain trust in the institution.

SMBR said that the problems of citizens should be solved on priority basis in revenue service offices and the ongoing development schemes of Punjab should be completed in time. He said that government institutions were for the convenience and ease of the people. Officers should utilise all resources within their jurisdiction for providing relief to the general public. He issued instructions to the DG Kachi Abadis and said that a master plan of Kachi Abadis should be created across Punjab and special steps should be taken to develop the Kachi Abadis. He said that corporate farming was the need of the hour and government land would be used for corporate farming and all resources would be utilised to deal with natural calamities.

Cheap electricity to industry proposed: A meeting was held at the Punjab Power Development Board office under the chairmanship of the caretaker Minister for Industries, Commerce and Energy SM Tanveer in which various proposals were considered for providing cheap electricity to Punjab Industrial Estates and Industrial Clusters. MD PPDP Sania Awais gave a briefing on the board's performance, completed projects and future plans. Caretaker Provincial Minister of Energy, Industry and Commerce SM Tanveer while addressing the meeting said that to keep the wheel of industry moving, the energy projects will be completed on a priority.

He said that there is a huge scope for domestic and foreign investment in the energy sector. There are also vast opportunities for obtaining solar energy in Punjab. He directed that the department should plan effectively to supply energy to industry in Punjab. The provincial minister said that all possible facilities should be provided to the energy sector investors. MD PPDP said that 1,820 megawatt electricity has been added to the national grid with the completion of four power projects in Punjab. Foreign investment of 2.4 billion dollars in these projects created 5,000 employment opportunities.

He said that Punjab Grid Company will be formed while Punjab Power Generation Policy 2023 has been prepared. In the meeting, former MD NTDC Tahir Basharat Cheema and the relevant officers of the board participated.