Punjab cabinet approves reconstitution of PITB

Punjab cabinet, which met here Tuesday, decided, in principle, to provide state land for Naya Pakistan Housing Programme according to the law. The cabinet further decided to review again the regularization of contract employees of the Public Health Engineering Department.

The 25th meeting of the Punjab cabinet, which held with Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair, was attended by the provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and secretaries of departments concerned.

The cabinet meeting approved the reconstitution of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) along with the regulation of online transport companies and private vehicles in the province. It also approved the amendment in Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 which will allow regulation of App-based ride-hailing companies and private vehicles.

The Punjab cabinet decided to refer the matter of fixing the fare of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train to the Punjab Assembly to hold a debate for a final decision. The proposal of cancelling permits of other means of transport on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train route was rejected by the cabinet.

The chief minister directed to strictly implement one-dish and time restriction in marriage celebrations throughout the province and made it clear that legal action will be initiated in case of any violation. The chief secretary and IG Police should ensure implementation on one-dish and time restriction policy, he added.

The Punjab cabinet accorded approval to amend the Article-4 of Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Act, 2014.

Similarly, ex-post-facto approval of summary of service level agreement for the provision of funds for operational expenditures of GIS-based Survey and Computerization of Urban Non-Moveable Property Tax Project for financial years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. Approval of signing the MoU between Lahore and Xuzhou city of Jiangsu province of China was given, as well.

Moreover, approval of signing the letter of intent for declaring Faisalabad and Qingdao, Rawalpindi and Wuhan, Bahawalpur and Nanjing, Taxila and Datong and Multan and Xian as sister cities was granted by the meeting.

The draft agreement between the Population Welfare Department and private service provider for franchising of clinical services phase-II for the provision of family planning services under annual development programme was approved by the Cabinet. Reconstitution of the committee was also approved under Section 3(1) of the Punjab Special Premises (Preservation), Ordinance, 1985. Similarly, approval of the establishment of Times Institute in Multan and rules and regulations for the appointment of Chairman Punjab Zakat and Ushr Council was granted along with the approval of Punjab Shops and Establishment Amendment Bill, 2019 and draft bill of Punjab Industrial Relations Amendment Act, 2019.

The Punjab Cabinet deferred the approval of the draft bill of the Factories Amendment Act, 2019 and directed to re-submit the reformulated bill. De-notification of spare land for the construction of lift-stations for sewerage system in Lahore's union councils 117, 118 and 120 were approved.

Meanwhile, approval was granted to amend Quaid-e-Azam Library Lahore (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Regulations, 1984. The decisions made in the meeting of National Tourism Coordination Board were endorsed along with the decisions made in the 23rd and 24th meetings of the Standing Committee on Finance & Development.