16 secretaries to serve in S Punjab

The Punjab cabinet has approved amendments to Rules of Business, 2011 for setting up the Southern Punjab Secretariat. It also approved posting of secretaries of 16 provincial departments to perform duties at the new secretariat.

The approval was given in the 34th meeting of the provincial cabinet held on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.

The participants highlighted that following establishment of the Southern Punjab Secretariat, the people of the region would not have to travel to Lahore for the solution of their problems. All their administrative matters and issues will be resolved locally with the help of a paperless environment in the new secretariat.

The cabinet also decided to rationalise matters of Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs) in the light of directions of the Supreme Court. It gave formal approval for closure of six ATCs due to decreasing cases.

The provincial cabinet rejected a proposal for a valuation table relating to new catagories of property tax. It also approved amendments to Punjab e-Stamp Rules, 2016 for refund of e-stamp papers. It authorised commissioners for a refund of stamp papers of up to Rs500,000.

It also decided to extend the date of online registration of charities till October 15. Amendments to Punjab Sugar Factory (Control) Act, 1950 were also approved. It was decided that the mills failing to start crushing from the notified date would be fined by the government. To safeguard the interest of farmers and timely start of crushing season, the government has bound the sugar mills to write down the weight of sugarcane purchased by them along with price and date on the valid receipt. The farmers will be paid according to the notified rate with the obligation of payment through bank.

The provincial cabinet allowed the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency to start housing schemes across the province under the prime minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing Programme.

Approval was also granted to empower motor vehicles officers under section 120 of Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965 and an amendment to Motor Vehicles Rules, 1969 to include loader rickshaws in it.

The cabinet also approved the first Special Education Policy after 17 years that would cover the social model. It also approved the establishment of South Punjab Institute of Science and Technology, Dera Ghazi Khan and giving the status of the University of Jhang to Lahore College for Women University Jhang Sub-Campus.

The provincial cabinet also constituted a ministerial committee to review the nomination of member legal of Punjab Environment Tribunal. It also approved constitution of the executive committee of Punjab Heritage Foundation along with the approval of amendments to Punjab Government Advertisement Policy, 2020. The AGP’s report about the forest department’s expenditures for 2019-20 and appropriation of accounts for 2018-19 was approved along with the approval of an audit of the stock of stone of irrigation department for 2017-18.

The proceedings of 32nd and 33rd meetings of the Punjab Cabinet were endorsed along with the decisions made in the 35th and 36th meetings of the Standing Cabinet Committee for Finance and Development. Addressing the meeting participants, the chief minister said another promise of his government had been fulfilled and it was an important step towards Southern Punjab province.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2020.