The Punjab cabinet has decided to enforce complete lockdown before Eid-ul-Fitr in Lahore and other cities with a more positive ratio of the coronavirus cases to save the lives of the citizens.
Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired the 43rd cabinet meeting on Thursday, which discussed the prevailing coronavirus situation, Ramazan package and wheat procurement drive.
The cabinet expressed its concern over the rising number of coronavirus cases and death rate and showed its reservations over the non-implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the citizens.
The special cabinet committee will finalise the recommendations regarding complete lockdown in some cities after reviewing the proposal of complete lockdown to submit the same to NCOC.
It was decided to increase the number of oxygen beds and ventilators on an emergent basis along with the adoption of beds to maintain the supply of oxygen. The meeting decided to increase the number of vaccination centres while the federal government will also be approached for the import of oxygen.
The meeting was briefed that the positive cases’ ratio is more than 8 percent in 23 districts. Meanwhile, 1.125 million persons have been vaccinated and a stock of 865,000 vaccine doses is available.
The cabinet expressed satisfaction with the wheat procurement drive and it was told that 69 percent of the wheat crop has been cut and around 1.8 million metric tonnes of wheat has been procured by the Punjab government.
It was also decided to take administrative steps to stabilise the flour price. The meeting was briefed that more than 300 Ramazan bazaars have been established in the province where a 10kg flour bag is available at Rs375 and sugar is being sold at Rs65 per kg.
The meeting endorsed rules of business for the South Punjab Secretariat and approved recommendations of the cabinet standing committee for legislation.
The cabinet approved to give the status of tehsil to Chowk Sarwar Shaheed in Muzaffargarh district along with the approval of amendments to the Punjab Border Military Police and Baloch Levi Service Rules 2009. Under this amendment, Baloch Levi could be posted in the Rajanpur district.
The Punjab Road Safety Authority Act, 2020 was also approved to improve the drivers’ training standard and the safety of vehicles. Approval was granted to convert Lahore Transport Company into Punjab Transport Company for province-wise operations.
The meeting also approved amendments in Motor Vehicles Rules, 1969 along with the approval of amendments in Section 2(S), 21 and 38 of Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Amendment Act, 2007. The Punjab Aab Pak Authority (Appointment and Conditions of Service Rules, 2020) and lease of Jinnah Park Rawalpindi were approved while the value of the lease will be determined by the District Price Assessment Committee and Provincial Price Assessment Committee. Further steps were approved in the light of court decisions about Lawyers Cooperative Housing Society in Bahawalpur.
The meeting also approved giving university status to Namal Institute Mianwali along with the decision to grant university status to Ghazi Institute of Engineering DG Khan. Uniform implementation of LDA building by-laws to all the development authorities in Punjab was approved as well.