LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet in its 30th meeting here Wednesday accorded approval to the proposal of launching the sugarcane crushing season by November 15.
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired the cabinet meeting in which proposal to increase fares of electric buses in Multan, Rawalpindi and Lahore was rejected. However, the provincial cabinet officially ratified ban on the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The Punjab cabinet approved recruitment of “School Teachers Intern” in government schools. Under the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, “One who possesses it owns it”, the cabinet approved Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025.
CM for Air Punjab to be operational at the earliest
The cabinet approved subsidy program under the Chief Minister High-Tech Farm Mechanisation Finance Program. It was briefed that more than 10,000 applications have been received for High-Tech Farm Mechanization Finance Program. About 1,500 applications for the High-Tech Farm Mechanization Finance Program have been submitted to the Bank of Punjab.
Under the Program, the Punjab government will provide super seeders and other modern equipment at a 60 percent subsidy. Under Kisan Card Phase II, Rs 100 billion has been distributed; a record recovery of Rs 70 billion has been made from previous phase.
The meeting was briefed that on repaying loan from Kisan Card, money for the second phase is provided within 24 hours.
The cabinet was also informed about supply and control rates of DAP and urea fertilizers.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that agriculture had suffered due to lack of attention being paid to farm mechanization in the past.
The cabinet approved a MoU for Lahore-Rawalpindi High Speed Rail. It also approved establishment of Air Punjab Private Limited Company. QR code was approved for retailers under the Prime Minister’s Cashless Strategy. The meeting also approved ‘Mehrab Mahfouz Roshan’ Punjab.
The cabinet approved n MoU for agricultural cooperation with Egypt. It approved formation of Board of Governors of the Punjab Centre of Excellence for Countering Violence and Extremism.
It approved proposed summary of traffic fines and points system. Funds were approved for construction of a museum and a memorial in National Bank Park. The master plan for the restoration, improvement and upgradation of Lahore Museum was approved.
The meeting approved provision of grants to the Punjab Transport Company for establishing electric depots for electric buses in different cities. The foundation stone of Mass Transit Authority was approved in Gujranwala. The Gujranwala Mass Transit Project was approved for exemption from Central Development Working Party (CDWP).
The posts of interventional cardiologists, medical officers, technologists and nurses were approved for the cardiac cath-labs established for district hospitals. Relaxation of ban on recruitment for Punjab Financial Advisory Services (PFAS) was approved. Staff recruitment in the Punjab Services Tribunal was also approved.
The cabinet approved appointment of CEO of Punjab Land Development Company Limited. The appointment of Chief Executive Officer of Punjab Mineral Company (Private) Limited was approved. Relaxation of restrictions on recruitment for new posts in Punjab ‘Sahulat Bazaar’ Authority (PSBA) was approved. Nomination of non-official member and chairman of Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA) was approved.
The posts of Research Officer/Research and Coordination Officer and Research Investigator were approved in Education Board Bahawalpur.
The meeting approved the extension of contract of employees serving in Biomedical Equipment Resource Centre. Relaxation of restrictions on recruitment of essential staff required in Engineering Consultancy Services Punjab (Private) Limited (ECSP) was approved. Reallocation of funds for Green Pakistan Program was also approved.
The cabinet also approved establishment of University of Hafizabad.
Under the Punjab Consumer Protection Act, delegation of powers to the Deputy Commissioners, District Consumer Protection Council and Assistant Director Legal was approved.
The meeting approved nomination of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court Gujranwala. Approval was given to extend scope of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab to the areas excluded from Tehsil Koh-e-Sulaiman and District Rajanpur. Approval was given to appoint judges in the Anti-Terrorism Court in Bahawalpur and Sargodha. Approval was also given to approve annual budget 2025-26 and revised budget 2024-25 of Punjab Auqaf Organisation.
The cabinet approved a request for tax exemption from the federal government for the hydraulic canopy project for pilgrims at Data Darbar. The cabinet approved subsidy for the Chief Minister Punjab Green Tractor Phase II.
Approval was given to increase number of beds for establishment of three general hospitals in Attock, Layyah and Bahawalnagar. Amendments to Punjab Private Housing Schemes Rules, 2022 were approved. Draft supplementary agreement for Mobile CRMS App 2025 was approved. Funds for financial year 2025-26 were approved for “Smart Safe Cities Phase I” and “Expansion of IPNV75 Sites”.
Approval was given to give allowances equal to those of Health Department to doctors and specialists of the Mines and Minerals Department. The meeting approved re-evaluation of rates of laboratory testing services in the laboratories of Fisheries Department. Grant-in-aid was approved to enhance the capacity of federal and provincial law enforcement agencies.
The cabinet approved Green Agri Cooperative Pakistan for registration under Section 10 of the Operative Societies Act, 1925. Change in the title of various projects under the Annual Development Program was approved. Amendments to the Terms of Reference (TORs) of the Standing Committee on Law and Order (SCCLO) of the Cabinet were approved.
Additional charge of CEO of Punjab Energy Holding Company Private Limited was approved. The Cabinet approved renewal of the appointment of Rector of FC College. Approval was given to the formation of Board of Management for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education in Gujranwala Medical College and Sahiwal Medical College. Approval was given to the nomination for appointment of judges in Anti-Terrorism Courts in Gujranwala and Dera Ghazi Khan.
The cabinet approved to purchase vehicles for field operations and revenue collection for Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department. A summary was approved regarding new vehicles for the security of esteemed judges of the Supreme Court and foreign guests. The Punjab Water and Sanitation Authority Act, 2024 was approved. An ex-gratia/compassionate package was approved under Tourism Department.
Approval was given to release funds for establishing a green corridor along the Ring Forest Station of Lahore and Shahdara to Raiwind railway track. Land acquisition was approved for the establishment of a logistics park adjacent to M-3 Industrial City, FIEDMC Faisalabad.
The cabinet approved to include schemes of Film City in the ADP and change of title. Funds were approved for Abdullah Gul Interchange Chowk and Barki Road Development. The cabinet approved the upgradation project in and around Lahore Railway Station. The wasted funds under PSDP (2024-25) were re-validated. The site change for the establishment of Shrimp Estate from Jhalarian Shamli, Muzaffargarh to Chak 58 NB Tehsil and District Sargodha was approved.
The application for inclusion of development projects in ADP under the Chief Minister Punjab Development Program was approved. The nomination as a member of the Punjab Defamation Tribunal in Multan was approved. The cabinet approved the Punjab Low Carbon and Adaptive Agriculture Project with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. The draft of the Punjab Education Sector Plan 2025-30 was also approved.
The cabinet approved establishment of the Punjab Tourism and Heritage Authority along with the proposed draft. The appointment of Chairperson Drug Courts Punjab was approved. The proposed amendments in the Punjab Government (Revised) Advertisement Policy, 2025 were approved.
The nomination of members of the Board of Governors under the Punjab Autism School and Resource Centre Act, 2025 was approved. The proposed draft of the Punjab Autism School and Resource Centre (Amendment) Act, 2025 was approved.
The cabinet approved revised MoU on Upgradation of Lahore-Rawalpindi High Speed Rail, Secondary and Tertiary Railway Network. After mediation by the Board of Investment, a Memorandum of Understanding was also approved between LWMC and Al Barak.
Approval was given to the appointment of the Chief Executive of Air Punjab (Pvt) Limited. Approval was given to the ‘Roads Rehabilitation Project’ under the ‘Punjab Khushal Program’. Approval was given to formation of the Board of Governors of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research, Lahore. Amendments to the Registration Act 1908 were approved.
During the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif appreciated performance of Special Assistant Salma Butt, DG Food Amjad Hafeez and Secretary Price Control Kiran Khurshid.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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