CM okays Drug Regulatory Authority

LAHORE
CHIEF Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting here Tuesday which decided to launch a crackdown on the elements involved in production and sale of spurious and substandard drugs.
The chief minister while issuing instructions for evolving short, medium and long-term action plans in this regard directed that short-term measures should immediately be taken for saving lives of the people.
Presiding over a meeting through a video link at Civil Secretariat, he said that production and sale of spurious medicines was an evil trade and would be curbed at any cost. He said the elements involved in the heinous trade of spurious drugs were the enemies of humanity and deserved no leniency. He directed the authorities concerned to make necessary amendments in the law for ensuring stringent punishment to those engaged in the business of spurious drugs.
The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to evolve short-term, medium and long-term action plans to eliminate the heinous business of spurious medicines and take effective measures for this purpose. He said that indiscriminate action should be taken against the factories producing fake and substandard medicines as well as the medical stores involved in their sale. He said the trade of spurious medicines was also a form of terrorism and deterrent punishment should be awarded to those involved in this despicable business. He said operation against substandard and spurious medicines should be carried out as a mission and effective monitoring and inspection system would also be introduced in this regard. He announced setting up of two separate task forces for South Punjab and North Punjab of which he would be the chairman. He also gave approval to institutional reforms for continuing action against fake and substandard drugs on permanent basis.
He gave approval to the setting up of Drug Regulatory Authority which will be run by an autonomous board of governors. The chief minister

appreciated the timely action and the measures taken by Adviser on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique, Parliamentary Secretary Khawaja Imran Nazir and Secretary Health Jawad Rafiq Malik for curbing the nefarious trade of spurious drugs. Secretary Health gave a detailed briefing on the action taken against fake and substandard drugs.
Wheat: Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting here Tuesday which decided to procure 4 million ton wheat directly from the cultivators during Wheat Procurement Campaign 2015-16.
The chief minister said wheat procurement campaign was being started formally from the last week of April; wheat would be procured from the famers at the rate of Rs1,300 per maund and a record amount of Rs130 billion had been allocated for this purpose during the current year. He said that due returns would be ensured to the cultivators for their labour and wheat would be purchased from small farmers on priority basis. He said 376 wheat procurement centres would be set up across the province.
He was presiding over a high-level meeting through a video link at Civil Secretariat, which reviewed the arrangements for Wheat Procurement Campaign 2015-16. Secretary Food gave a briefing on this occasion.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that with the grace of Allah, there has been a bumper wheat crop this year.
Job quota: Shahbaz Sharif has said special persons deserve special attention and sympathies of the society and the Punjab government has increased job quota for them from two percent to three percent and its implementation will be ensured at any cost.
He directed that job quota for special persons in private sector should also be ensured while a comprehensive programme was evolved for their rehabilitation. Addressing a meeting through a video link at Civil Secretariat Tuesday, the chief minister directed the departments and ministers concerned that they should play an active role for the rehabilitation of special persons.