Daily Times

The Punjab cabinet has approved restoration of the fixed daily allowance of the Punjab Police frozen since 2005 with the average of 2013. The Punjab Highway Patrolling Police and Traffic Wardens will also get the allowance with the same percentage.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired the meeting of the provincial cabinet held here on Saturday.

The approval was also given to the executive allowance of the civil officers appointed on the cadre post. The civil officers will get the executive allowance equal to 1.5 times of the basic salary. The special allowance equal to 1.5 times of the basic salary was also approved for the grade 1 to 16 employees of the Cabinet Secretariat on the instructions of the chief minister.

The meeting also approved the allotment of the government land for landless farmers of Cholistan. The land will be given in a transparent manner and a scrutiny committee has been approved for the purpose. The meeting also approved land in the Cholistan area of Sadiqabad tehsil for the PPL for oil exploration.

The provincial cabinet meeting approved the financial aid package for the farmers whose crops were damaged in rainstorms and hailstorms. Some 55 villages of 27 districts have been declared calamity-hit and they have been exempted from malia and aabiyana (water tax). The chief minister has also directed to estimate the damage to the crops caused by floods in some parts of Jhelum.

Punjab Highway Patrolling Police and Traffic Wardens also eligible for allowance

The provincial cabinet also approved the first tourism policy. Buzdar said special package will be prepared for the interest of the tourists as promotion of tourism will boost soft image of Pakistan. He said special benefits will be given to the private investors who are interested in investing in the tourism sector.

The meeting also decided to introduce the grading system in Matric, FSc and FA exams in phases. The implementation of the first phase of the grading system has been approved. The chief minister said the grading system is a vital measure towards a uniform education system. “We will introduce a system that will enable our students to compete at the international level,” he said, adding that a committee has been constituted to review the implementation of the second and third phases of the grading system.

Grade 1-16 employees of Cabinet Secretariat to get special allowance equal to 1.5 times of basic salary

The provincial cabinet also approved amendment in the Government Land Disposal Policy. The provincial cabinet approved the leasing of the government land on open auction basis. The decision has been taken to give ownership rights of the land leased to landless famers and the farmers who will cultivate 80 per cent of the land will get the ownership rights. The meeting also approved appointment of members of the Board of Directors of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, Sialkot.

The Punjab cabinet also approved the audit report prepared by the Auditor General of Pakistan for Punjab government accounts for the financial years of 2016-17 and 2018-19. The audit report will be presented in the Punjab Assembly after the approval of the cabinet. The recommendations of the committee formed by the chief minister were also approved. The minutes of the 13th and 14th meetings of the cabinet were affirmed. The decisions of the 10th and 11th meetings of the cabinet standing committee for finance and development were also endorsed.

The meeting of the provincial cabinet was attended by the provincial ministers, advisers, special advisers, chief secretary and senior officials.