Amendments approved

LAHORE:The Punjab Cabinet Committee on Legislative Business on Friday gave go ahead to a number of amendments and drafts of new laws in its 21st meeting held at Civil Secretariat.

Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat chaired the meeting. Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun, Chief Secretary Azam Salman, Additional Chief Secretary Shaukat Ali, Additional Chief Secretary Home Momin Agha and other officers were also present.

The cabinet committee allowed to give administrative control of Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab (IDAP) from Services & General Administration Department to the Planning and Development Department and to regulate private organisations caring for destitute and neglected children in Punjab.

The committee agreed to amend the Punjab Water Act 2019 to regulate the temporary use of canal water in non-hydel power plants proposed by the Irrigation Department in addition to an amendment to Motor Vehicle Rules 1969 proposed by the Department of Transport to bring the manufacturing and use of loader rickshaws under law. The committee allowed the Industries Department to introduce the Apprenticeship Act in place of the Apprenticeship Ordinance 1962, after which, apart from industrial enterprises, other commercial and trade entities would also be able to offer apprenticeships with provision of job security to the trainees.

This amendment was likely to create millions of new employment opportunities in Punjab, stated the Industries, Trade and Investment Department secretary.