Pervaiz okays underground train system for Lahore

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi presided over 6th provincial cabinet meeting at CM Office on Friday in which special prayer was made for the martyrs of APS Peshawar and rich tributes were paid to the great sacrifice of the martyrs.

The Punjab cabinet accorded principle approval to complete the underground Mass-Transit system for Lahore and approval was also granted to incorporate underground blue-line and purple-line and Mass-Transit project in the Annual Development Programme.

Approval was also accorded during the meeting to decrease 50 percent in the unit rates of ownership rights for giving land to the landless farmers in Cholistan. The landless farmers of Cholistan and agriculture will be greatly benefitted with this step of the Punjab government. Approval was also granted to grant exemption value-added tax for the ambassadors and consulates. CM stated that he did not want to ruin Lahore like Shehbaz Sharif and would introduce the underground train system. Blue-line, Purple-line and Mass-Transit project will be launched with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank adding that this project will be built on BOT basis and not a single penny of Punjab government will be spent on it. Underground Mass transit system will be built from Valencia to Kalma Chowk, Liberty Chowk, Data Darbar up to Airport. Eight big stations of the Orange Line will also be developed.

The cabinet also granted approval to the P&D Board and Transport Department to hold negotiations for getting technical assistance and financing with the Asian Development Bank. The Punjab cabinet accorded approval to make inductions in the health department from grade 5 to grade 15 and make contract inductions in the PKLI Lahore.

Principle decision was also taken to induct teachers on 600 vacant posts in order to fulfil shortage of teachers in colleges. The cabinet also accorded approval to lift the ban on making inductions in Government College University Faisalabad. Approval was also accorded to provide cancer treatment facilities in Children Hospital Lahore along with hospitals of Faisalabad and Gujrat. Approval was also granted during the cabinet meeting to introduce latest ever cancer treatment cyber knife technology and introduced Linear Accelerator for cancer treatment in the hospitals of Gujrat and Faisalabad and Children Hospital Lahore.

The chief minister apprised that a cardiology hospital will be established in Sargodha and the number of beds will be increased in the Faisalabad cardiology hospital. The Punjab cabinet also accorded approval to establish a new tehsil Wohwa in the new district Taunsa. 207-km road will be constructed from Chichawatini, Rojhana, Pir Mahal, Chowk Azam, Layyah up to Taunsa. 103-km road will be constructed from M-4 Chiraghanbad, Jhang Bypass up to Shorkot. A 75-km long road will be built from Depalpur to Pakpattan. 150-km road will be built from Depalpur, Pakpattan to Vehari.

Approval was also accorded to enhance the wages of staff members under the social security scheme. Approval was accorded to grant administrative and financial autonomy to Aitcheson college and Lawrence college under the Punjab Educational Institutional (Reconstitution) Act 2021 and Approval was granted for the renewal of agreement with the Pakistan Air Force for THQ Hospital Fort Munro district DG Khan.

Approval was also granted to make an amendment in the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service (condition of service) rules 2007 for the promotion of Assistant District Public Prosecutors. Approval was granted for making amendments in the Punjab Sentencing Act 2019 and the limit of minimum punishment was fixed. Approval was also granted for the revaluation of salary and allowances for the officers and staff members of Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority. Approval was granted to extend the contract period up to six months for the 15 workers working on the project in the Energy Department. The Chief Minister directed that daily hearing of pending cases in the LDA should be made and should be decided at the earliest. Approval was granted for amendment in the rules and regulations for the appointment of member technical in Punjab Environmental Tribunal.

Approval was also granted to make an amendment in the registration and control ordinance 1961 in the Volunteers Social Welfare Agency. Approval was also granted to allot additional charge of CEO of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC). Financial approval was granted for the family members of volunteer martyred M Siddique of Lodhran, for the bone marrow transplant treatment of a 2-years old female child and for Saima Tabassum widow of Akhtar Rasool, data entry operator of S&GAD.

Approval was granted during the meeting for the audit report on the accounts of public sector enterprises for the year 2021-22, the audit reports of the Provincial Zakat Fund and the District Zakat Committees for the year 2020-21 and the audit reports of the Climatic Change Environment and Disaster Management Organisation Punjab for the year 2020-21 and 2021-22. Approval was granted during the meeting for the annual report of Punjab Examination Commission Lahore for the financial year 2017-18, the annual report of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board for the financial year 2020-21 and the annual performance report of the Punjab Daanish Schools and Centers of Excellence Authority for the year 2020-21.

Approved was granted to allot the authority for petrol pumps and explosion licensing to the provincial government. Senior Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Provincial Ministers, Advisers, Special Assistants, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and senior officials attended the meeting. Provincial Ministers Raja Basharat, Hashim Dogar, Dr. Akhtar Malik attended the meeting via video link.