‘Land of 150 petrol pumps to be leased’

Punjab Minister for Local Government, Law & Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Basharat Raja has said that the state land occupied by 150 petrol pumps in Punjab would be leased out via open auction and transparently to earn maximum revenue for Punjab kitty.

He was presiding over a meeting to review the proposed policy framework for disposal of leased state lands across Punjab. The meeting was also attended by the Provincial Ministers Mian Mehmoodul-Rasheed, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Raja Yasir Hamyun, Muhammad Sibtain Khan, Col (R) Malik Muhammad Anwar, Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad, senior member of board of revenue, secretary law and other officers concerned. The meeting was apprised of the amended policy by member board of revenue who explained that about 2.18 lakh acre state-land was leased out to 75,000 to 80,000 families since years for agriculture purpose.

He said the lease agreement was required to either extend or end with the sale of land to the cultivator. He suggested if the government would opt to sale out the land, it might bring billions of rupees to the national exchequer.

The meeting decided for further discussions on this matter and advised the member board of revenue to come up with new proposed rates and suggestions in next meeting.

The minister for law assured the state lands would be auctioned through Privatization Board Punjab under law. It was also decided that the private housing schemes occupying state land in form of water courses, public ways or ponds would be given option to either provide the alternative land of similar cost or deposit its cost in accordance with the prevailing market price.

population: Punjab Minister for Population Welfare Col (R) Hashim Dogar said Punjab government has taken religious scholars (Ulemas) on board over the matter of increasing population. He was addressing to a regional dissemination seminar on Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey - PDHS (2017-18).

The Ulemas agreed on the concept of healthy mother and healthy child, said the minster, adding that education sought great importance for getting the solution of the problem of population increase. He said, “When people will be educated then they will understand the importance of family planning”.

The minister said the findings of the PDHS would help in understanding the problem and trends of using old and modern contraceptives among married couples. He stressed the problem of the increasing population could not be overcome until the young generation of Pakistan would not be well-educated and fully aware of the issue and its solution.

minorities: Provincial Minister for Human Rights & Minority Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine has announced Rs100 million in grant for the rehabilitation of Churches and temples in South Punjab, also announced Rs20.5 million for the deserving students of minorities and Rs10 million on the eve of Holi in Rahim Yar Khan.

The minister made those announcements while attending the ceremony of Holi in Sheikh Khalifa Auditorium, Rahim Yar Khan. He said on August 11 Quid-e-Azam made a speech and cleared that all the minorities in Pakistan would be free to go to their religious places and under the leadership of Prime Minister IK government was providing all the basic facilities to the minorities and their religious places were much safer in the Pakistan as compared to the other countries.

He said Kartarpur Corridor and announcement of Baba Guru Nanank University would be great examples of brotherhood and peace from Pakistan.

Later, a ceremony was held at Circuit House, Rahim Yar Khan to distribute educational scholarship certificates among brilliant and deserving minority students. The minister on behalf of the government of Punjab distributed educational certificates among 227 students worth five million rupees to the students of matric, intermediate, graduation, masters and professional level.

MPA Mahinder Singh, MPA Ch Asif, DC Jamil Ahmed, DPO Umer Slamat, representatives of PTI and large number of minority representatives attended the ceremony.

PKLI: Punjab Minister for Energy Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik visited Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI).The minister had a meeting with PKLI management led by Medical Director and COO Dr Amer Yar Khan.

The minister was briefed about the current services being provided at the PKLI and future plans for expansion. He was told that PKLI has provided well over one million services to patients since its inception in December 2017. These services include thousands of radiology and dialysis services and major & minor surgeries including kidney and liver transplantation.