Focus on price control, law & order: Maryam

LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, while chairing the 12th meeting of the provincial cabinet here on Tuesday, said her main focus was on price control and law and order.

The meeting was called to discuss and decide about prices and important projects.

She added, “Failure to control rates in a district will be considered failure of deputy commissioner concerned. Vegetables should be grown locally as per the demand of every city so that transportation costs can be reduced.”

The chief minister directed the department concerned to draft guidelines for establishing a housing scheme for artists. She also directed all departments to start paid internship programmes to better engage fresh graduates.

The cabinet approved the Chief Minister Punjab Climate Leadership Development Internship Programme, under which a three-month internship for 2,000 students at Rs25,000 per month will be provided, along with issuing them Social Service Certificates upon completion to help them get admission to good foreign universities.

The cabinet directed the Punjab government to pay all charges except insurance costs in the e-bike scheme. The Punjab government will now pay charges for documentation, registration, number plates, etc. Approval was also given to add 10,000 more electric bikes to the scheme.

The cabinet also approved the Chief Minister District Sustainable Development Goals Programme, under which about 3,000 projects, including roads, parks, drainage, clean water, streetlights, tube wells, and others, will be completed in the districts at Rs80 billion. The completion period for these development projects is fixed at one year; no project shall exceed its completion period.

The cabinet approved an increase in the quarterly stipend of Himmat Card holders to Rs10,500.

The chief minister directed the authorities to go to doorsteps of special persons for their verification to issue them Himmat Cards.

The Punjab cabinet also approved the establishment of Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority, which will work at the provincial, district and tehsil levels. It also approved the Higher and School Education e-Transfer Policy. The cabinet approved amendments to Section 144 under the Criminal Code, 1898, under which the deputy commissioner is entitled to impose Section 144 for 30 days, home secretary for 90 days and the cabinet for a longer period. It empowered the National Highway and Motorway Police, Punjab Transport Authority and Traffic Police to inspect records of official vehicles and impose fines in case of any violation.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, while approving the construction of three new road corridors in Punjab in a special meeting, said, “The government will complete these three roads for Rs210 billion by December 2025 in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.”