CM chairs provincial cabinet meeting

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired the 41st meeting of the provincial cabinet at his office

on Monday and approved the procedure of flats' allotment in Lahore Development Authority (LDA) City Naya Pakistan Apartments under Section 19 of management and transfer of properties of Development Authorities Act 2014.

The meeting authorized the LDA to enter into an agreement with Bank of Punjab for the project as 4000 apartments will be constructed in the first phase, says a handout.

A flat would cost around Rs 2.75 million per cent quota will be reserved for the general public while 20 per cent share will be held for provincial government employees, 10 per cent for federal government employees and another 20 per cent quota will be allocated to LDA officials.

The CM directed to reserve special quota for journalists and lawyers as well.

The meeting approved to upgrade low-grade employees of the civil secretariat and decided to promote drivers, auto-electricians, mechanics and dispatch-riders in next grade. This will facilitate more than 11 thousand low-grade employees.

Approval of the 200-bed mother & child hospital at the venue of old grain market godown in Multan was accorded along with the release of Rs 500 million.

The meeting approved to establish two new cement plants in DG Khan and Mianwali and the CM directed to further expedite the issuance of NOCs to pending applications.

Meanwhile, it was decided to give health professional and special healthcare allowance to the doctors of the Population Welfare Department. The participants decided to constitute a high-level committee to reconsider the regularization scheme of Katchi Abadis with the direction to submit comprehensive recommendations.

The law department was directed to review matters pertaining to Punjab Consolidation of Holdings Ordinance 1960 to submit recommendations for early completion of the consolidation process.

The cabinet also approved the establishment of the provincial drug monitoring team and draft Punjab Hepatitis Rules. Amendments in Pakistan Travel Agency Act 1976 and draft of Punjab Museum Act 2021 were also approved along with the approval of terms and conditions for the posts of registrar and controller of examinations of government universities.

Alongside, approval to amend the Punjab Police Department (Ministerial Posts) Rules 2017 was given for the change in eligibility criterion of stenographers.

The meeting decided to enhance the registration and renewal fee of private wildlife breeding farms and approved an amendment in the Forest Act and Punjab Urban and Peri-urban Forest Policy 2020. Similarly, the cabinet authorized Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab to work on development projects in Islamabad on a fast-track basis. It was further approved to implement MIT Act in Mayo Hospital and King Edward Medical College along with the approval of amendment in the Punjab Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) Amendment Act 2020.

The cabinet constituted a committee to review and submit its recommendations relating to the leasing out of state land to Multan Gymkhana. The meeting was also briefed about the agriculture department's performance and a ministerial committee was constituted for facilitating the farmers. This committee, comprising agriculture experts, will submit its final recommendations to the cabinet.

Meanwhile, the proceedings of 40th cabinet meeting was endorsed along with the endorsement of 48th, 49th, 50th meetings of cabinet standing committee for finance and development as well as 44th, 45th, 46th and 47th meetings of cabinet standing committee for legislation.

The cabinet meeting which lasted for more than three hours also offered Fateha for the departed soul of the father of provincial minister Nauman Langrial.