LAHORE: The Cabinet’s Legislative Business Committee of the Punjab Cabinet has accorded approval to amendment in service rules for the Border Military Police (BMP), the Baloch Levy, reconstitution of the Provincial Parole Board and shift in the schedules of various types of wildlife.

The SCCLB’s meeting, which held with provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Environment Protection and Cooperatives Muhammad Basharat Raja in the chair, decided to amend the service rules of Border Military Police and Baloch Levy DG Khan to give 17th scale to Superintendent, 16th scale to Assistant and 14th scale to the Stenographer like other departments.

The cabinet body was briefed by the Home department that last year 400 people had applied for release on parole, but due to the required imprisonment period and good conduct only 80 prisoners qualified for the consideration of which the provincial parole board recommended release of 34 prisoners.

Basharat Raja while directing for improvement in the performance of Provincial Parole Board said that parole survey should be conducted again in 43 prisons of Punjab.

“Those who serve the prescribed sentence and have shown good conduct should be released on parole,” directed the chair.

He said that it should not be given the impression that only influential people are released on parole, but this legal facility should benefit everyone except those who were involved in anti-state crimes so that the burden on prisons could be reduced. The cabinet body also decided to mobilize the Provincial Parole Board according to its mandate.

The meeting approved the inclusion of Chinkara, Hog Deer, Nilgai, Uryal and wild boar in the first schedule of wildlife. Meanwhile, inclusion of 29 birds in the third schedule and fixation of reserve baseline prices for issuance of special hunting permits was sanctioned by the SCCLB too.

Houbara Bustard has also been temporary shifted to the first schedule. It should be noted that the first schedule includes the wild life which can be hunted throughout the year after the government notification. The second schedule includes animals for trophy hunting, the third schedule includes protected birds whose hunting is prohibited, while the fourth schedule includes animals that are not protected at all.

The meeting also approved amendments to the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, the Irrigation Forest and Ecotourism Bill, establishment of the Aquaculture Development Corporation Bill and operationalisation of the newly established Khanpur Cadet College, Rahimyar Khan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

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