Daily Times

The provincial cabinet, which met at CM Office here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair, decided to abolish the local governments’ licensing fee for professionals and approved necessary amendments in Punjab Local Government Act, 2019, for bringing necessary changes in licensing regime to ensure ease of doing business.

It also approved the import of three lac ton sugar through Trading Corporation of Pakistan along with allowing the food department to enter into an agreement with TCP for purchasing imported sugar. Amendment in Sugar Factories Control Act 1950 was granted to authorize the Punjab government to fix zone-wise dates for starting the crushing season. The meeting constituted the ministerial committee to submit recommendations within three days for fixing sugarcane price.

The meeting decided to remove Section 4 of Punjab Privatization Board Act 2010 so that divisional commissioners could supervise the auction process of state lands. Amendment in policy for granting proprietary rights in lease schemes for temporary farming was approved and the farmers can submit their applications up to December 31. The meeting also approved to declare smog as calamity and further decided to include it in Punjab Calamities Act 1958.

The meeting approved to de-notify the gazette notification dated March 16, 2016, about allotment of land to South Punjab Forest Company and further decided to transfer the assets of South Punjab Forest Company. In-principle approval was granted to ease the policies for the provision of state lands for Naya Pakistan Housing Program along with the approval of Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency Affordable Housing Scheme Rules 2020. Meanwhile, the appointment of MD and COO of Punjab Safe City Authority Lahore was approved along with the approval of the proposed amendment in Punjab Board of Technical Education Ordinance 1962 for promotion of students without exams.

The meeting approved posting of Member Punjab Environmental Tribunal Lahore and also gave approval to amendments in Act of Department of Tourist Services Punjab for transfer of six government guest and rest houses in Murree, Kotli Sattian and Chakwal. Approval of financial aid for the affectees of a suicide attack at Dhok Ghumman Basal Road Attock was granted as well.

The meeting approved a half-yearly monitoring report of implementation on NFC Award for the period January to June 2018, July 2018 to December 2018 and January to June 2019. Auditor General of Pakistan’s audit reports about Punjab government accounts for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 were approved along with the approval of annual performance reports of Punjab Curriculum & Textbook Board Lahore for the financial year 2018-19 and Punjab Daanish Schools & Centres of Excellence Authority for 2019-20.

The meeting decided to introduce the role of Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab as an executive agency. It also approved extension in the lease of state land to Sultan Foundation in TT Singh, extension in the employment of MD Punjab Mineral Development Corporation Shahzad Rafi and approval of terms and conditions for the appointment of Rashid Aziz as Chairman Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Authority.

Decisions made in the 35th cabinet meeting as well as taken in the special cabinet meeting on the completion of two years of Punjab government were endorsed along with the endorsement of decisions made in the 30th, 31st and 32nd meetings of the standing committee for legislation and 40th meeting of the standing committee for finance and development.

The CM directed indiscriminate crackdown against hoarders and profiteers and directed the provisional price control committee and administrative officers to take indiscriminate action against the violators of law and provision of items at notified rates be ensured. No leniency will be shown to those selling items at exorbitant rates and lip-service will not help any more, he warned.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has sought a report from RPO Gujranwala about the torture of a woman in the police station and directed to take departmental action against the police official. No one can be allowed to torture and the affected woman will be provided justice, he stressed.

Separately, the police have arrested official Ali Akbar and departmental action has been started after registration of the case.