Maryam announces online property transfer facility for expats

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz spent another hectic day on Friday, as she chaired meetings on online property transfer facility for overseas Pakistanis, proposal to launch an air ambulance service in Punjab, Board of Revenue (BoR) reforms, matters related to Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA), more investment in the province as well as initiation of Kissan card for farmers.

“Online property transfer facility for overseas Pakistanis will offer them services like personalisation, mutation, e-filing and registration,” she told a meeting here. She discussed reforms in the Board of Revenue (BoR), and matters related to Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA). The CM ordered for taking immediate steps to provide reliable online services to overseas Pakistanis, living in the US, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Gulf and other countries.

Chairing another meeting on the air ambulance project in Punjab, she said: “Our people lose their lives for not reaching hospitals in time in case of an accident, especially in the remote areas.” She said it was essential to get the accident victims to hospitals on time. “Air ambulance service will be started in Punjab very soon,” she added. “Rescue-1122 service will also be started on highways,” she promised.

The CM also directed the authorities concerned to build parks and open air small gyms on the government land, and sought record of the government land leases in Punjab. She was also briefed that the land facilitation centres would become operational in 11 divisional headquarters by June 30. She ordered for expanding the network of land facilitation centres to all districts of the province.

The CM was briefed that the online land record project would be launched in 10 districts, where record of 5,798 villages would be made available online till December 2024, besides the land record of 50 cooperative housing societies. People would be able to access data of societies through digital transfer under the PLRA, the meeting was informed. The CM was told that efforts were underway to retrieve 2,000 acres of the government land from different housing societies. She was informed that 811,044 hectares of government land would be used for corporate farming. Integration with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and e-registration of BoR would also be done soon. A business plan for management of the state land was also presented.

Maryam also sought a plan for promotion of investment in the province. She ordered to identify the industrial sectors after ascertaining the market needs, along with undertaking sector-wise mapping in order to provide safe investment opportunities to the investors.

Maryam, while chairing a special meeting on the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, ordered compilation of data of the existing as well as future. She said investors would be provided every sort of facilitation and ease, adding that the era of political instability had ended and the government was fully determined to undertake its proactive role for promotion of investment.

She also ordered to undertake strict monitoring of roads construction and repair programme. She asserted that she would not tolerate corruption in the roads construction and repair project. She ordered for launching work on five expressways including Vehari-Multan at the earliest. She presided over a special meeting in which briefing was given about roads construction and repair project. Work on the Salam Interchange up to Sargodha was reviewed and approval was granted for the ongoing ADP development programme, roads rehabilitation, construction and repair. She vowed that excellent and durable roads would be constructed across Punjab.

Separately, Maryam Nawaz presided over a special meeting in which matters pertaining to wheat were reviewed. A proposal for issuance of Kissan card was reviewed in the meeting. The CM maintained that the Punjab government would always stand with the farming community and it would not leave them alone.

Maryam ordered to undertake all possible steps for assistance to wheat cultivators, adding that the PMLN manifesto stressed well-being of farmers. She said “we are also well aware of problems being faced by the common man and we strive to provide them subsidised flour”. It was informed during the briefing that the government had to bear circular debt to the tune of Rs630 billion for granting subsidy on wheat. The government had to pay Rs80 billion markup per annum on the circular debt. The Punjab government also paid off Rs469 billion debt in the last eight months. A proposal with regard to Social Protection and Targeted Subsidy was reviewed during the meeting. The proposal for uninterrupted provision of manure and pesticides to farmers was also mulled over.

Meanwhile, CM Maryam Nawaz strongly condemned Islamophobia and barbarities against the Muslims of Palestine and Indian Illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). She denounced that an unjust and discriminatory attitude was being adopted towards Muslims owing to Islamophobia. The innocent Muslims in Palestine and in Occupied Kashmir were being subjected to tyranny and oppression, she said in her message on the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. She said Islam is a peaceful religion, and Muslims overwhelming believe in faith. Maryam exhorted that the Muslim countries, by ending disunity among their ranks, should become a symbol of unity.