Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over the 24th Punjab cabinet meeting at 90-SQA on Thursday.
The meeting approved amendments to Punjab Stamp Rules 1934. Under it, complete data of stamp vendors will be automated and they will be given smart cards for sale and purchase of less-value stamp papers.
The meeting approved Punjab Electronic Invoice Monitoring System Rules 2019 and also approved the amendment to the second schedule of Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act 2012. This amendment would facilitate the construction industry.
The Punjab cabinet decided to amend MoU with Novartis till June 2020 for the treatment of cancer patients and TORs of second MoU will be re-examined. The meeting decided to constitute a committee to submit proposals after the review of the second MoU.
Meeting approved amendments to Probation of Offenders Ordinance 1960 and Probation of Offenders Rules 1961 while amendments to Punjab Police Special Branch Technical Cadre Service Rules 2016 were also decided for the post of Principal Police Dog Breeding Center and Training School Special Branch Punjab, Lahore.
The cabinet approved the nomination of Justice Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah for the post of Chairperson Punjab Environmental Tribunal Lahore along with the approval of the name of Kashif Iqbal for the post of President Anjuman Nashran-e-Quran Majeed Urdu Bazaar Lahore. Cabinet decided to install disposal plant for disposing of damaged or Shaheed pages of Holy Quran in a correct and respectful way. The Punjab cabinet allowed Madina Foundation to install the disposal plant. The meeting approved the Punjab Drug and Cosmetics Amendment Act 2019 and decided legislation for the regularization of LHVs and other staff of reproductive maternal, neonatal, children, health and nutrition programme and approved to end the condition of dying cadre for LHVs and other staff under this programme.
Approval of amendments in LDA land use regulation and University of Wah Act 2019 was granted and approval was also granted for the establishment of trust under CSR for the provision of sui-gas in special economic zones. The meeting decided to relocate patwar circle of Qila Sattar Shah, Wandala Nasir and Chuiyanwali Kalan from tehsil Muridke to tehsil Ferozwala. It was also decided to include Darwat village of district Chakwal in Talagang tehsil and audit report of Auditor General of Pakistan about the audit of disaster management organizations in Punjab for the financial year 2018-19 was given approval.
While deferring the decision to allow Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Pvt. Ltd to mortgage project land under Section 43-A of the Land Acquisition Act, the cabinet committee for legislative business was directed to submit a comprehensive report in this regard. The meeting endorsed minutes of 23rdmeeting along with the approval of decisions made in the 21st and 22nd meetings of cabinet standing committee on finance and development.
The Punjab cabinet decided to immediately release 50 crore rupees for the purchase of machinery and adoption of necessary steps for combating locust attack. Chief Minister said that there is no wheat or flour crisis, adding that Punjab government has ample wheat reserves and wheat is also being given to KPK province. The cabinet was told that locust attack has occurred after 27 years and line departments are fully active to counter it. The meeting was given a briefing about anti-locust steps, wheat reserves and future strategy. Provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, Chief Secretary and others attended the meeting.