Thalassaemia prevention included in non-development budget

LAHORE:The Punjab government included the prevention of thalassaemia and other hereditary diseases in non-development budget and moved the Thalassaemia Prevention Programme of the Department of Specialised Health and Medical Education under Fatima Jinnah Medical College (FJMC). The decision was taken in the 62nd meeting of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Finance and Development chaired by Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht at the Chief Minister's Secretariat on Friday. The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Industry and Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal, Adviser to Chief Minister for Economic Affairs Dr Salman Shah, Chief Secretary Punjab, Secretary Finance, Secretary Planning and Development and secretaries from relevant departments. More than seven recommendations were made in the meeting by various departments. The meeting has also re-issued the lapsed funds of the last financial year by the Department of Planning and Development to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme.

The minister directed the Planning and Development Board to seek clarification from all the departments concerned as to why the work has not started yet despite the release of full funds for the schemes launched by the government on the first day of the new financial year.

The meeting also decided to send the proposals of permanently lifting the ban on deployments in the police department and construction of low-cost houses in semi-urban areas to cabinet and decisions would be made accordingly.

The minister directed the Housing and Town planning Department to get the services of regular financial advisers for the Punjab Pre-Urban Housing Scheme and prepare a formal financial plan of the project from the Bank of Punjab so that the construction of houses could be started as soon as possible.