Cabinet approves allowances for police, government officials

LAHORE: Punjab Cabinet has approved a fixed daily allowance for Police, Traffic Wardens and Punjab Highway Patrolling Police, an executive allowance for civil officers and basic allowance for grade 1 to 16 Punjab Civil Secretariat officials.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a provincial cabinet meeting on Saturday, which restored fixed daily allowances of police, Punjab Highway Patrolling Police and traffic wardens to the level it was in 2013. This allowance was frozen in 2005. The meeting also approved an executive allowance equivalent to 1.5 times the basic salary for civil officers.

On the orders of the chief minister, the provincial cabinet also approved special allowances, equivalent to 1.5 times the basic salary, for Punjab Civil Secretariat officials from grade 1 to 16.

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The provincial cabinet approved the allotment of government land to famers of Cholistan region. It also gave its nod to the constitution of scrutiny committees that will ensure the transparent allotment of state land. In addition, the cabinet allowed the allotment of land to Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) for oil exploration in the Also okays allotment of government land to farmers from CholistanSadiqabad in Cholistan regions.

The cabinet also approved an assistance package for farmers which faced huge losses during the recent hailstorm. As many as 55 villages in 27 districts had been declared calamity hit and abiana (water tax) and malia were waived off in these areas. Buzdar also ordered an estimation of farmers’ losses in flood affected areas near River Jehlum.

The Punjab cabinet also approved the first tourism policy of the province. The chief minister ordered special facilitation packages to attract tourists. He said special benefits will be given to private investors who are interested in investing in tourism.

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The meeting has also decided to introduce a phase-wise grading system in the Matric, FSc and FA exams. The implementation of the first phase of the grading system has been approved. The chief minister said the grading system is the vital measure towards the uniform education system and this system will end cramming.

“We will introduce a system that will enable our students to compete at the international level.” The chief minister said a committee has been constituted to review the implementation of the second and third phases of the grading system. The cabinet meeting also approved an amendment in the Government Land Disposal Policy.

The provincial cabinet has approved the leasing of government land on open auction. The decision has been taken to give ownership rights of the land leased to landless famers. Those farmers, who will cultivate 80 percent of the land, will get ownership rights.

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The meeting also approved the appointment of the members of the Board of Directors of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, Sialkot. The cabinet meeting also approved the audit report prepared by the Auditor General of Pakistan for the Punjab government accounts for the financial years of 2016-17 and 2018-19. The audit report will be presented in the Punjab Assembly after the approval of the cabinet.

The recommendations of the committee, formed by the chief minister, were also approved. The minutes of the 13th and 14th meetings of the cabinet were affirmed. The decisions of the 10th and 11th meetings of the Cabinet Standing Committee for Finance and Development were also endorsed. The cabinet meeting was attended by the provincial ministers, advisers, special advisers, chief secretary and senior officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2019.