Cabinet body approves declaration of flour as essential commodity

LAHORE: Punjab Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs has accorded approval for declaration of wheat flour as essential commodity in the Schedule of the Punjab Prevention of Speculation in Essential Commodities Act, 2021.

The cabinet body also approved expansion in the scope of Walled City Lahore Authority across Punjab and creation of three new centers in the Environment Protection Department in collaboration with the World Bank.

The meeting of the Cabinet Committee was held under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Environmental Protection and Cooperatives Muhammad Basharat Raja. Provincial Law Minister Khurram Shehzad Virk, Minister of Communications and Works Ali Afzal Sahi also participated in the meeting.

The cabinet body also approved memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Lahore Metropolitan Corporation and the Saida Municipality of Republic of Lebanon.

The cabinet committee also considered the private bills related to the constitutional amendment on local governments in the National Assembly. In an amendment bill, it has been suggested that local government elections should be held three months before the end of the term of the local bodies.

Provincial Minister Ali Afzal Sahi objected that such a proposal is not feasible. Another private constitutional amendment bill presented by some MNAs has also proposed to keep the minimum suspension of local bodies for 60 days. It was decided that the Punjab Cabinet will take the final decision on these private bills.

The cabinet body also approved an amendment to the relevant law, after which the pro vice-chancellor of Pir Meher Ali Shah Arid University, like other universities, can be made a member of the Syndicate.

In the meeting, the amendment to the Agriculture University Faisalabad Act was also approved. Mohammad Basharat Raja said that with the amendment, the University Grants Commission will be replaced by the Higher Education Commission.

The committee also approved the amendment of the Nawaz Sharif Agricultural University Multan Act 2013 and the agreement between the Food Department and the federal agency-PASCO for imported wheat.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022