Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Friday said that the government was committed to providing relief to the common man during Ramazan. He said this while presiding over a meeting of the Punjab Cabinet. A decision was made at the meeting to allow citizens to buy two kilograms of sugar at a time from Ramazan Bazaars set up across the province. Food items relating to the upcoming festival of Eid will also be sold in the Ramazan bazaars from Ramazan 21. Semolina, vermicelli and five additional food items will be provided on subsidized rates and Punjab government will provide a subsidy of Rs 20 million in this regard. The cabinet meeting decided to end rebate by the Punjab government on the export of sugar and approval was also accorded to abolish subsidy on its export for the purpose of strengthening the prices of sugar. The meeting gave the approval to fix aquifer tariff (water charges) at the rate of one rupee per litter on water bottling and beverage companies using the groundwater. This decision has been made in light of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s directions. WASAs, local government, and irrigation department will issue notifications within their respective sphere of influence for collecting these charges. In the light of the SC directions, a separate account has been set up for the money collected under this head and a comprehensive mechanism will be devised for receiving and utilization of water charges. The meeting approved to change the name of Fort Munro Development Authority as Koh-e-Suleman Development Authority and also decided to expand the scope of this authority to the tribal areas of DG Khan and Rajanpur. For that purpose, necessary amendments will be made in the act. The cabinet was informed about the amendments in the transfer policy of teachers of the schools education department. In line with the cabinet decision, the parliamentary party will also be briefed about the e-transfer policy of the teachers. Adoption of necessary steps in the light of court directions was approved to regularize the work-charge employees of Punjab Revenue Authority. It was also decided to amend the LDA laws with regard to the utilization of land for marquees, marriage and banquet halls, and the meeting was directed to constitute a high-level committee for amendments in the relevant laws. The cabinet meeting approved amendments to the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1967 and expressed its satisfaction over the achievement of wheat procurement target. The meeting gave approval to six monthly reports of 7th National Finance Commission Award for July-December 2016, January-June 2017 and July-December 2017. Annual audit reports of CW, housing & public health engineering, irrigation, local bodies, and Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab for the year 2018-19 was also affirmed by the cabinet meeting. These audit reports will now be presented before the Punjab assembly. The meeting also confirmed the decisions made in the 10th meeting of the Punjab cabinet besides affirming the decisions of the 9th meeting of provincial cabinet committee for finance and development. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that wheat farmers had been given full reward of their hard work and added that their rights had been fully protected by the Punjab government. “I extend congratulations to the food minister and other officials for achieving the wheat procurement target,” he added. The Ramazan bazaars have given relief to the people and more steps will be taken to provide further relief to the people in the future. Every step is taken in the best public interest and the journey of public service will not be stopped,” he added. Provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, chief secretary, and administrative secretaries attended the meeting. Growth strategy: The Punjab government on Friday launched the Punjab Growth Strategy, 2023. An inaugural ceremony was held under the chair of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at 90-Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. CM Usman Buzdar, while addressing the inaugural ceremony, said that Punjab Growth Strategy 2023 would determine the direction of economic development. Fruits of progress will reach to every citizen of Punjab, he added. “We believe in public service, not for winning the elections, but for the blessing of Almighty Allah. Growth Strategy 2023 will present the holistic strategy to cope with basic problems being faced by the people. Growth Strategy 2023 is a way of people’s welfare and real development,” he said. “All the promises made by the PTI in its manifesto will be fulfilled. Special attention is being paid to reforms in education, healthcare, agriculture and other affairs. We want completion of CPEC projects and development of backward areas. Eradication of unemployment and generating abundant opportunities of employment are our main targets,” he said. “A total of 8.8 percent reduction will be made in unemployment in the next five years. Provision of 1.2 million jobs annually is our target. By 2023, the government wants to decrease the poverty line from 26.2 percent to 19.5 percent,” he said.