Punjab cabinet decides to enhance sentence for poaching

LAHORE: The cabinet meeting also decided to amend sections 2(S), 21 and 38 of Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation & Management) Amendment Act, 2007 to increase the amount of fines and sentences for illegal hunting in the province. It was also decided that fines and sentences will be further enhanced for poaching before hunting season to be started from Nov 1, 2020. The meeting decided to grant permission for the hunting of 62 surplus blackbucks, 21 Chinkara deer and 27 blue bull (Nilgai) in Cholistan desert.

The Punjab Occupational Safety & Health Amendment Health, 2019 was approved while amendment to Punjab Fisheries Rules, 1965 was deferred.

The CM said complaints of contaminated water have arisen due to fish farming in dams that also provide potable water. Therefore, this matter should be reviewed in detail by health, irrigation, public health engineering departments and other stakeholders and final recommendations should be presented in the next meeting.

The meeting also decided to effectively implement necessary precautionary measures in the wake of the situation arising due to the presence of coronavirus in neighbouring countries. The CM directed the line departments to remain vigilant. The meeting was told that additional staff of the Health Department would be posted at airports. The CM said that there should be no shortage of eatables being imported from neighbouring countries especially China and Iran.

The chief minister said that the Punjab government had adopted unprecedented measures with the consultation to serve people. He said that wrong culture of one-man show had been done away with. The decisions made with consultations yield positive results and the government would go to every extent to provide relief to people. The timely decisions have helped in overcoming price-hike.