CM lifts ban on ad hoc jobs in health department

LAHORE:Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has lifted a ban on ad hoc appointments in Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department and Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department.

A summary sent by both departments has been approved by the chief minister. This would remove the shortage of medical staff as doctors, nurses and other staff would now be recruited on ad hoc.

WHEAT SUPPLY: The Punjab government has strongly protested against the federal government's double standards for supplying wheat to other provinces while neglecting the needs of Punjab.

The chief minister expressed his indignation at the behaviour of the federal government for not providing wheat to Punjab. He formally protested against this discrimination and said that the Punjab government would send a protest letter to the federal government in this regard. Pervaiz Elahi said that the federal government was step-motherly treating Punjab by not providing wheat to it. Several lakh tons of wheat wasted due to rains and floods in Punjab and the federal government had not provided wheat despite Punjab's request, he regretted.

Meanwhile, Pervaiz Elahi approved setting the support price of wheat at Rs3,000 per maund and vowed that this increase would give the farmers full compensation for their hard work and the area under cultivation of wheat would also be increased next year. He ordered measures to stop the smuggling of wheat and flour and said that strict monitoring of the exit routes of the province should be ensured.

He noted that wheat and flour price was low in Punjab compared to other provinces. The food department, together with the DPOs and deputy commissioners of the respective districts, should tighten the checking system at the exits, he added. Indiscriminate action should be taken against the elements involved in the smuggling of wheat, he said. The Punjab government has also decided to constitute a cabinet standing committee on wheat under the chief minister.

Provincial Ministers Sardar Mohsin Leghari, Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dreshak, Chief Secretary Kamran Afzal, secretaries of food, agriculture, and finance departments, former BoP president Hamish Khan and director food attended the meeting.

PRAISES LAHORE POLICE: The chief minister lauded the Lahore police for resolving the issue of murder of girl in Sharifpura Lakhodair.

CCPO Lahore and the investigation team worked day and night to resolve the case scientifically, he said and promised to bring justice to the bereaved family.