Cabinet approves Parole Act, LG Finance Commission

LAHORE : Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday presided over the 22nd meeting of the provincial cabinet at Civil Secretariat.

The meeting approved Parole Act, 2019 and decided to shut down Punjab Bio-energy Company Pvt (Ltd).

Assessment Policy Framework, 2019 of schools education department was also approved. It was also decided to discontinue 5th and 8th class exams in phases.

The Punjab Education Professionals Standards Council Bill, 2018 and provision of Urdu medium books to the students of government schools were also approved by the cabinet. Now, primary education will be imparted in Urdu language and English will be taught as a subject.

The meeting approved Punjab Forests Policy, 2019 and also approved to change the nomenclature of district wildlife officer (grade-17) to assistant director wildlife (grade-17).

The meeting decided to develop Kalabagh private game reserve in District Mianwali under Section 20 of Punjab Wildlife Act. The draft of Punjab Wildlife Protected Areas Act, 2019 was also approved.

The meeting approved special audit reports of C&W, Housing & Physical Planning, Local Government and Cholistan Development Authority under PM's Global Sustainable Development Goals Achievements Programme for the financial year 2016-18. Principle approval of constituting Punjab Local Government Finance Commission was also given while the agenda relating to giving state land to DHA Gujranwala was deferred.

A committee headed by Law Minister Raja Basharat would submit final recommendations after going through this matter.

The signing of MoU between Punjab police and public security department of Chinese Jiangsu province for enhancing bilateral cooperation was handed over to the cabinet committee for legislative business which would submit its recommendations after detailed deliberations. The meeting endorsed the decisions made in the 19th meeting of the cabinet standing committee for finance and development.

Meanwhile, the chief minister directed foolproof security arrangements in the province on Christmas and birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Additional force should be deputed to protect churches, he added. The chief minister said that founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a visionary statesman and a leader like him born after centuries.

Green Punjab campaign: Usman Buzdar inaugurated Clean and Green Index Punjab and clean and green Punjab campaign here.

Addressing the gathering, Usman Buzdar said that climate change, smog and natural calamities were affecting cities and overcoming them has become a major challenge.

Prime Minister Imran Khan raised voice against climate change at the international forum while the Punjab government was following the vision of clean and green Pakistan, he added. Local governments have been established under Punjab Local Government Act and Commissioners and DCs have been given the charge of administrators.

Christmas: Usman Buzdar has felicitated the Christian community on Christmas and said the government shared their joys and happiness.