People won’t be burdened despite crisis: Buzdar

LAHORE: The meeting of the provincial cabinet, which held here Friday at Chief Minister’s Office with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair, accorded approval to the 40-point agenda.

The cabinet rejected the proposal of increasing water charges (abiana) and decided to constitute dispute resolution committees at the district level under police order to help in solving the disputes at the grassroots. It hoped that constitution of such committees will help to solve the petty disputes. The Alternate Dispute Resolution Bill 2019 was approved and the meeting decided to extend the scope of safe city project to big cities of the province. This project would be extended to such cities on case-to-case basis and in accordance with the government priorities. The project of constructing low-cost houses in Chishtian, Lodhran and Renala Khurd under Prime Minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing Programme was also approved and the housing department will perform its duty of implementing this project after the approval of the cabinet.

The meeting approved accord of administrative and financial autonomy to Institute of Public Health, Lahore, along with the decision to formulate administrative committee to deal with the matters pertaining to the IPH. The meeting approved changing the name of Fort Munro Development Authority to Koh-e-Suleman Development Authority Dera Ghazi Khan and it was also decided that scope of this authority would be extended to tribal area of Koh-e-Suleman Tehsil.

Establishment of a new post of Border Military Police at the tribal area of Saakar in DG Khan was given approval. The cabinet decided to nominate provincial minister for energy as the chairman of cabinet committee for energy and additional chief secretary (energy) as its member. The meeting approved the draft of MoU for the launch of NFC centres and awareness activities for the project of eradication of child labour by strengthening government institutions and community.

Meanwhile, approval was given to land transfer to NHA for the construction of Lahore Eastern Bypass Project. The cabinet also approved Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center Act 2019, Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2018 for traffic management reforms and Punjab Red Zones (Establishment & Security) Bill 2018 while the draft of the agreement between Punjab government and UET Lahore was approved as well for setting up AC testing lab at the Kala Shah Kaku Campus of University of Engineering Technology Lahore. The meeting approved draft amendment law of Punjab Zakat & Ushr Act 2018, drafts of Punjab Animal Health Act 2018 and Punjab Literacy and Non-formal Education Policy 2018. Approval was accorded to the specified criterion for search committee and its process of constitution along with matters pertaining to experience, competence, qualification for vice-chancellor posts of general education and women universities. Similarly, approval was given to the qualification, experience and competence for the post of vice-chancellors of specialised universities, constitution of search committee and procedure of its working.

The matters pertaining to 720 megawatt Karot Hydropower Project and merger of Water Management Wing Supervisor (BS-11) of Agriculture Department as Sub-Engineer (BS-11) in C&W Department under the directions of Supreme Court were also approved by the meeting. Similarly, draft bill of Punjab Minimum Wages Act 2018, proposed amendments to Provincial Employees Social Security Ordinance 1965 and the MoU between Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department and Christian Care Foundation Lahore were approved. Along with it, nomination of members of board of directors of Parks and Horticulture Authorities of Lahore, Multan, Sargodha and Gujranwala were approved by the cabinet as well. The nomination of governing body members of Rawalpindi Development Authority, Bahawalpur Development Authority, Sargodha Development Authority and Multan Development Authority under Development of Cities Act 1976 was approved. The nomination of public representatives as members and vice-chairman of governing body of Faisalabad Development Authority under Development of Cities Act 1976 were also approved. On the occasion, amendment to Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Policy 2012 and matters pertaining to training of technical and management staff of the provincial government under Petroleum Policy 2018 were approved.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that farmers’ interests would be protected at every cost and their rights would not be compromised. The PTI government is a genuine guardian of the rights of the farmers. He said that development of the Punjab province is our main objective and public interest is maintained in every decision. Despite financial constraints, we do not want to transfer any burden to the people, he said. The chief minister congratulated newly sworn-in minister Bau Muhammad Rizwan to the cabinet meeting.

The participants expressed good wishes and welcomed Bau Rizwan to the meeting. The chief minister said that political and public related services of Abdul Aleem Khan were praiseworthy and his performance as the Senior Minister remained brilliant.

Aleem Khan resigned from the ministry by showing high moral norms and it is hoped that he will get justice. The PTI government fully believes in the supremacy of law, he added. The cabinet meeting also endorsed the decisions made in the previous meeting.