Punjab cabinet approves Local Govt Bill 2019

Meeting gives nod to an amendment in the Punjab Electronic Stamp Papers Rules 2016

LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Friday approved the Punjab Local Government Act 2019 as well as the draft of Water Act 2019 through which a water resources commission would be established under the chair of the chief minister.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over the provincial cabinet meeting at his office here. The CM ordered the authorities concerned to conduct a survey for compensating the damages caused by the recent rains. The cabinet also approved the Punjab Witness Protection Act 2018 and decided that a witness protection board would be constituted under the act. The meeting approved the release of Rs10 billion for the government guarantee and debt authority in favour of the Punjab Thermal Power Private Ltd.

An amendment to the Punjab Electronic Stamp Papers Rules 2016 was also approved in the meeting.

Meanwhile, special audit reports 2016-17 of Auditor General of Pakistan about the Punjab government accounts were also presented before the cabinet. These reports would be presented before the Punjab Assembly after the cabinet approval. Approval was also accorded for giving Koh-e-Suleman, situated in the tribal area of DG Khan district, the status of a tehsil.

A decision was also made about allocating five seats for students belonging to tribal areas of DG Khan and Rajanpur in Ghazi Medical College, Dera Ghazi Khan. The meeting decided to close down South Punjab Forest Company. The meeting also approved the appointment of the board of directors' members of Parks & Horticulture Authority Faisalabad and reduced rates scheme under the Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act 2012 was approved as well. The cabinet meeting approved the financing of population welfare programme Punjab 2017-20 through public sector development program and funds were also approved for devolved vertical programmes of health and population welfare sectors.

The meeting approved temporary regulations under regulatory steps for immediate eradication of dengue disease. The meeting accorded approval to Punjab Animal Health Bill 2019 and amendments to Benevolent Fund Rules were approved as well for reconsideration of eligibility criteria of monthly grants and increase in the grant money. The meeting gave the approval to transfer of land for 720 megawatts Karot power project and affairs pertaining to the royalty of liquid petroleum gas according to the market value of LPG were also approved.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2019.