Daily Times

Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman here Monday chaired the 11th meeting of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Business and Privatization.

Provincial Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafiq and Minister for Education Rana Sikandar Hayat also attended the meeting.

The committee reviewed 20 proposals from various departments. Key decisions included approval for the establishment of the Education Authority to oversee curriculum, teacher training, and performance evaluation, as well as a review of the School Management Council Policy 2024.

The Finance Minister directed the School Education Department to devise a practical mechanism for the immediate provision of missing facilities in government schools. He also emphasized utilizing interns until permanent recruitments are made to address the shortage of teachers.

Highlighting the importance of compliance with e-tendering and regulatory protocols, the Minister stated that adherence to rules is in the departments’ best interest and cannot be overlooked. He further clarified that exemptions from PPRA rules and taxes are not a viable solution. He instructed for consultation with the PPRA and the Finance Department to remove hurdles for the timely provision of school infrastructure.

The committee approved the Punjab Medical and Health Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 and the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research Act 2024. Speaking on the occasion, the Provincial Minister shared that the Cancer Treatment and Research Institute will be modeled after the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute. The institute’s board will be constituted under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

The meeting also reviewed MoUs between the Agriculture Department and NGOs, including the Food Security and Agriculture Center of Excellence (FACE) and Ba-Khabar Kissan. These collaborations aim to enhance field officers’ training and ensure timely awareness of climate impacts on agricultural activities. The Provincial Minister expressed hope that partnerships with NGOs would significantly contribute to the development of the agriculture sector.

Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafiq urged the School Education Department to enhance its spending while ensuring strict compliance with regulations. He stated that laws are designed to improve systems, not to complicate matters for stakeholders. He added that the management of the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research will be directly handled by the Punjab government, marking another landmark project by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for Punjab.

During the session, the Minister for School Education briefed the meeting on ongoing reforms in the department, stating that efforts are being made to ensure full utilization of the budget and curb corruption in expenditures. He highlighted that textbooks are now being printed at half the cost compared to the previous year. The department is also engaging development partners to address missing facilities in public schools.

The committee also approved the Punjab Alternate Dispute Resolution (Amendment) Bill 2024 for the Law Department and the Punjab Senior Citizens Bill 2024 for the Social Welfare Department.