Punjab cabinet body rejects renovation of ministers’ residences

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to complete ongoing development schemes on priority basis and 1,838 ongoing schemes will be completed under prime minister’s global sustainable development goals.

This was decided in the standing committee on finance and development of the Punjab cabinet meeting held at Chief Minister’s Office here Friday. Provincial Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht and Minister for Trade and Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal jointly presided over the meeting on behalf of the chief minister.

Provincial Minister Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed, secretaries of finance, higher education, sports, livestock, public health engineering, I&C, health departments and others attended the meeting.

The meeting deliberated upon 23-point agenda for three and a half hours and financial as well as administrative matters pertaining to different development schemes were also discussed. The meeting also discussed lifting of the ban on recruitment for development projects and rejected the project of repair and maintenance of ministers’ residences.

Provincial Ministers Mian Aslam Iqbal and Hashim Jawan Bakht made it clear that public welfare projects were the government’s priority. The committee agreed upon conditional permission of lifting the ban on recruitment of professionals in special education department and reviewed various matters relating to the ban on recruitment in public sector universities and education boards of the province.

Higher Education Department Secretary Momin Ali Agha briefed the meeting about vacant posts in public sector universities and education boards of the province. The meeting decided that renovation, repair & maintenance of government hospitals across the province would be completed early keeping in view the commitment of providing better healthcare facilities to the people.

Hashim Jawan Bakht said that pubic interest should be given importance in completion of health related schemes adding that any delay would not be tolerated in this regard. The committee directed that the projects of construction of tehsil sports complexes should be completed on priority and added that a foolproof mechanism should be devised for their proper care.

Discussing the bailout package for Gujranwala Development Authority, Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal directed that Wasa should improve their recovery related matters so that the people could be provided better and trouble-free services. Development schemes of different cities, including DG Khan, Taunsa Sharif, Sialkot, Bahawalpur and Kasur were also discussed and Apna Ghar Project was given in-principle approval. Holding of buffalo moot and national livestock and buffalo show was also approved by the meeting.