KP to hold local govt polls on Sept 15

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday announced to hold local government elections in the province on September 15.

The decision was made by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and was endorsed by the provincial cabinet which met here on Wednesday, said an official handout.

The ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and administrative secretaries attended the meeting. The participants debated the 31-point agenda and made a number of decisions.

The handout said the chief minister directed to increase the honoraria of Chief Khateeb and Moavin Qazis of the province. He ordered the officials to prepare the laws, rules and regulations on the pattern of E&D Rules, PPRA Rules and Retirement Rules already prepared by the federal government.

The cabinet approved the Probation and Parole Act-2020 to ease out the conditional release of imprisoned people on parole. They would be given training and physiological treatment to make them productive citizens of the society.

The cabinet decided to establish the Water Commission and Water Regulatory Authority for efficient water resource management. A decision was also taken to commence the second shift in public sector primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools throughout the province and a mechanism was approved for this.

The services of existing teachers would be hired. Teachers from the market would also be recruited on fixed pay. The primary teachers’ fixed salary would be Rs12,000 per month, middle school teachers would get Rs15,000, high school teachers Rs18,000, higher secondary school teachers Rs20,000, clerical staff Rs7,000 per month and class-IV employees Rs5,000 monthly.

The cabinet agreed to release a supplementary grant of Rs3676.842 million for the extension and rehabilitation of oil and gas producing districts. It was agreed to provide 156.11 kanal of additional land for the Suki Kinari hydropower project on river Kunhar in Mansehra district having the capacity to produce 884 MW power.

The cabinet approved a uniform system of education in the province. The chief minister directed the officials to incorporate local languages such as Pashto, Hindko, Saraiki, Gujri, Khowar and others in the new curriculum.

The cabinet approved the operational and financial rules of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade. It also approved online payment to tax-payers through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority.

The authority will make an agreement with the State Bank of Pakistan that will end the complications in the existing system and the tax-payers would be able to pay their taxes through the internet, mobile banking and other online systems.

The cabinet approved the Rules of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Development Commission and decided to release Rs100 million grant to each authority to run the affairs of Kalam, Kumrat and Kalash development authorities set up to develop these hill-stations.