CM Mahmood Khan wants Child Protection Units operationalised in all districts

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday directed the officials of Social Welfare Department to complete all the formalities for the appointment of Chief Protection Officer (CPO) of Child Protection and Welfare Commission.

He also directed the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to fully operationalise the Child Protection Units in all the districts of the province as provided in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act. The chief minister issued the directives while chairing a meeting of Child Protection and Welfare Child Commission here, said a handout. The meeting was given a detailed briefing about the objectives and mandate of the Child Protection Units (CPUs), proposed amendments in the service regulations of the commission, progress on appointments of necessary staff for the CPUs, reasons for delay in the appointment of the CPO and other related matters. The chief minister asked the officials to propose necessary amendments in the existing rules and regulations to remove the hitches in the appointment of the CPO and to constitute search and nomination council for the purpose within 15 days. He termed the establishment of the CPUs vital for the protection of vulnerable children against violence and exploitation, and directed the authorities concerned to take result- oriented steps to operationalised these units across the province. Mahmood Khan also directed that mechanism for appointment of the CPO and strategy for operationalisation of the CPUs be finalised in all respects and presented in the next meeting of the commission for approval. The meeting approved to give additional charge of the CPO to Deputy Chief Child Protection till the appointment of a full-time CPO to run the day-to-day business of the commission.

Regional office surpasses tax collection target

The Regional Tax Office (RTO), Peshawar has surpassed the budgetary target of tax collection assigned to it in June 2020. A handout said the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had initially assigned it a target of Rs 8.5 billion for the month which was later on revised upward to Rs 9.5 billion. The officers and staff of RTO achieved tax collection of Rs. 11.2 billion which shows efforts by the staff despite the lockdown and lackluster economic activity due to coronavirus.