Daily Times

Chief-Minister-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa-Mahmood-KhanKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Wednesday announced Local Bodies elections in the province on September 15 this year, which has been endorsed by the provincial cabinet.

He said this is a landmark decision of the province to decentralise power down to the grassroots level. He said that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is committed to the decentralisation of power and authority and decision making at grassroots level in the province.

The decision made by the chief minister was fully endorsed by the provincial cabinet which met on Wednesday with the chief minister in the chair and was participated by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, chief secretary and administrative secretaries. The meeting took for debate a marathon 31-point agenda and made a number of decisions.

Addressing the cabinet meeting, the chief minister directed to increase of Honoria of Chief Khateeb and Moavin Qazis of the province. He directed all the provincial departments to ensure implementation of the laws framed by the provincial government in their letter and spirit. The chief minister directed to work on the preparation of laws, rules and regulations on the pattern of E&D Rules, PPRA Rules and Retirement Rules already prepared by the federal government. He assured that the cabinet will meet on each Tuesday and it will be a weekly routine meeting of the cabinet to thoroughly discuss major draft legislations in the best public interest.

The cabinet formally approved the Probation and Parole Act-2020 to ease out the conditional release of imprisoned people on misdemeanors and after release on parole, these would be given training and physiological treatment to make them useful citizen of the society. This is being practiced throughout the world.

The cabinet agreed to the establishment of Water Commission and Water Regulatory Authority for efficient water resource management in the province. The Commission and Authority will work under the leadership of chief minister and addl chief secretary respectively. This is an effective law for the water conservation and storage and would also lead to meet the future water need for irrigation purposes. This is what we owe to the next generation that will benefit their future.

The provincial cabinet agreed to the commencement of double shift in public sector primary, middle, high and higher schools throughout the province and approved mechanism for this. The services of existing teachers would be hired and even teachers from the market would be recruited on fixed pay.

Recruitees to be hired from the market would get fix pay such as primary teachers Rs 12,000 per month, middle teachers Rs 15,000 per month, high school Rs 18,000 per month, higher secondary school Rs 20,000 per month, clerical staff Rs 7000 per month and class-IV Rs 5000 per month.

The double shift plan would be enforced from financial year 2021-22 and the terms and conditions would be purely temporarily. The cabinet agreed to release supplementary grant of Rs 3,676.842 million for the extension and rehabilitation of oil and gas producing districts. The finance department would enjoy power to release funds for the purpose out of gas royalty of the respective districts.

The cabinet also approved the merger of “PITE and RITE” established for the teachers’ training to a full-fledged Directorate of professional development in order to impart both in- service and pre-service professional trainings to the teacher on modern lines.

The cabinet also agreed to provide 156.11 kanal of additional land for the Suki Kinari Hydle Power Project having the capacity of 884 MW.

The cabinet formally approved a uniform system of education in the province which is a revolutionary step and the chief minister directed to incorporate local languages such as Pashto, Hindko, Saraki, Gogari, Kohwar and others in the new curriculum.

The new curricula should give importance to the Islamic values and ethics. The new uniform system would bring uniformity in the public and private schooling system.

The cabinet also approved the operational and financial rules of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade.

It also approved online payment for the tax-payers through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority. The authority will make an agreement with State Bank of Pakistan that will ease out the complications in the existing system and the tax payers would be able to pay their taxes through internet, mobile banking and other online system.

The cabinet approved the Rules of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Development Commission and agreed to the release of Rs 100 million grant to each authority to run the affairs of Kalam, Kumrat and Kalash Development Authorities. The chief minister directed to include Malam Jabba area in the authority.

The provincial cabinet in principle agreed to the amendment in the rules of employees of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. A committee has been formed which will make recommendations.

The cabinet dissolved Board of Governors of Qazi Hussain Ahmad Medical Teaching Institute for poor performance.