The Punjab cabinet, which held its 21st meeting at CM Office under the chair of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday, gave approval to amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure. After the amendment, the first-class magistrates could be given the powers of price control. The meeting gave approval to the establishment of Punjab local government finance commission and endorsed the decision of setting up sessions courts in Kot Radha Kishan (Kasur) and Kot Momin (Sargodha). The meeting also gave approval to amendment in police rules, 1934 for the tribal areas of Rajanpur and DG Khan. On this occasion, recommendations with regard to priority utilization of natural gas under articles 158 and 172 (3) of the constitution were approved as well. Recommendations for the exploration of mineral resources of different blocks of Khuzdar South, Surrah and Musa Khel were endorsed on the request of Balochistan government. The meeting decided to forward recommendations to the federal government with regard to amendments to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002. Similarly, the meeting decided to forward the matter of technical assistance of the Asian Development Bank for the training of skilled workforce to the cabinet committee for finance and development. The cabinet committee will submit its recommendations after complete review. The cabinet meeting also reviewed the price control situation and endorsed the minutes of 20th cabinet meeting along with the endorsement of decisions made in the 17th meeting of the cabinet standing committee on finance and development. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister asked the cabinet members to work as a team to deliver adding that line departments should proactively perform to make the anti-polio campaign a success. The performance of Punjab cabinet is much better than other provinces, he maintained. The chief minister announced that he is starting visiting different districts from the next week and added that price control measures, cleanliness, law & order situation and civic amenities will be inspected by him. I have empowered Chief Secretary and IG Police, he added. The service delivery mechanism will be further strengthened for providing different facilities to the masses and this improvement should be conspicuous at the grassroots. The genuine problems of the elected representatives will also be solved on priority basis by the government, he added. The chief minister also welcomed Chief Secretary Maj. (R) Azam Suleman and IG Police Shoaib Dastagir to the cabinet meeting and added that both the officers will vigorously work for the collective betterment of the province. Provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, Chief Secretary and administrative secretaries attended the meeting. Test cricket: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has welcomed the revival of international test cricket in Pakistan in the wake of the arrival of Sri Lankan cricket team. We are thankful to Sri Lankan players and their management for coming to Pakistan to play test series, he added. Pakistanis are great lovers of sports especially cricket. The viewers will enjoy the best play of cricket and a positive message will be given to the world. Sri Lankan team’s arrival has proved a fresh breath of air. With the crowding of cricket stadiums will send a positive message to the world. It is hoped that more foreign teams will also visit Pakistan to play cricket, added chief minister. Meanwhile, Buzdar expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the death of Lt. Col. (R) Muhammad Suleman, a hero of Pakistan-India war of 1971. In a condolence message, the chief minister paid rich tributes to the bravery and valour of Lt Col (r) Muhammad Suleman and added that he had set glorious examples of bravery during the fall of Dhaka. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and prayed that may Almighty Allah rest the departed soul in eternal peace.