CM approves Punjab LG Finance Commission

LAHORE:Chief Minister Usman Buzdar presided over the 18th meeting of Punjab Cabinet at his office here Tuesday in which establishment of 13-member Punjab Local Government Finance Commission was approved.

This commission would be headed by Finance Minister in order to devise the formula of provincial taxes. The meeting decided to lift ban on recruitment against vacant posts from grade one to four and the chief minister directed the departments to forward their cases for recruitment against such grades. The chief minister will approve the recruitments after reviewing them on case-to-case basis. The Punjab Cabinet decided to shut down Sasti Roti Authority and decided to hold special audit of irregularities in this scheme. Action will be initiated in the light of special audit report.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing about anti-dengue measures. The meeting decided to amend the table of registration fee of Registration Act, 1908 and the scope of e-stamping scheme will be expanded after the amendments.

Approval was given to increase fines for violation of traffic rules as well as adoption of different steps for ensuring traffic management in the light of Provincial Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2019.

The meeting approved amendments to Punjab Border Military Police and Baloch Levies Service Rules, 2009. It also decided to establish University of Technology in Rawalpindi and approved draft bill 2019 in this regard. Permission was granted to outlets of less than one cusec size.

The meeting approved release of funds worth more than Rs60 million with regard to operations of speedo buses from Bahawalpur to Lodhran. The meeting also approved the draft of Punjab Demarcation, Numbering and Naming of Village and Neighbourhood Rules, 2019.

Performance of provincial ministers will be regularly reviewed, concluded the chief minister. The meeting approved appointment of Iftikhar Taj Mian as non-official member of management committee of Punjab Pension Fund. Minutes of 17th meeting of Punjab Cabinet were endorsed besides approval of decisions made in the 14th and 15th meetings of cabinet standing committee on finance and development.

ADP: A meeting was held under the chair of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar which reviewed in detail progress made during past three months on Annual Development Programme and foreign funded projects. The chief minister expressed displeasure over some departments for not timely utilising the released funds.

Accountability: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information & Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan called on Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at Chief Minister’s Office here Tuesday. Matters relating to mutual interest, measures taken for providing relief to the masses, and various welfare projects were discussed during the meeting.

The chief minister and Special Assistant to PM strongly condemned the Indian atrocities in Held Kashmir and expressed complete solidarity with Kashmiris. Usman Buzdar said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had fought the Kashmir case as Ambassador of Kashmir at every forum in an effective manner. Modi government has crossed all limits of violating human rights in IHK. International community will have to take practical measures for stopping the Indian barbarity in Held Kashmir. The world will have to play its due role by considering the Kashmir as a human issue rather than a piece of land. He said that accountability of corrupt elements without any discrimination guarantees progress and prosperity of country. Former practices of misuse of national resources have ended.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that effective legislation for removing the hurdles in the way of providing relief to the masses was a self-evident proof of the Punjab government’s performance. Reforms in various sectors will ensure social security of impecunious strata of society. People have no interest in the dead horses and they have rejected the stance of opposition. She also presented suggestions to the chief minister regarding ongoing education, health and other development schemes in Sialkot.