South Punjab gets job quota
PHOTO: File
Punjab government has approved 32 per cent quota in jobs for candidates from South Punjab.
The provincial cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to the Punjab Civil Servants Act, 1974, under which the quota has been reserved for South Punjab in government jobs.
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, who presided over the meeting, directed a committee to present recommendations for reserving job quotas for other backward districts.
The cabinet also constituted a ministerial committee to devise rules and regulations regarding lease of 500 to 5,000 acres of land for agricultural and industrial partnership in the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister's Special Assistant Hasaan Khawar highlighted that the partnerships and joint ventures would employ latest practices of farming to address issues of food security in addition to providing modern skills and jobs for local manpower.
The cabinet approved the Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority Act, 2021 for establishing permanent bazaars across the province.
It also approved amendments to the Regularisation of Services Act, 2018 to regularise contract employees.
Amendments introduced on court directives regarding the policy for curbing the population of stray dogs were also approved.
The Punjab Road Safety Authority Act, 2020 and amendments to the Punjab Drugs Rules, 2007 and the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 were also approved.
Members of the cabinet approved reconstitution of the District Consumer Protection Councils to bring all relevant institutions and stakeholders on one platform.
Approval for establishment of Punjab Private Schools Regulatory Authority was granted for redressing complaints from parents, students and school managements.
The cabinet gave 95% exemption in token tax to encourage electric vehicles and reduce pollution in cities across the province.
Special Assistant Khawar said the government was taking difficult decisions despite ongoing economic challenges.
The government will soon give more welcome news to the nation as its first priority is the convenience of the people, he added.
He said in reply to a question that consultations and disagreements were part of the democratic process but the government allies were on the same page.
He said the previous government had pushed the country into a quagmire of debts. "The present government is taking steps to get the nation out of this situation," he added.
The special assistant highlighted that at a time when the geo-political landscape of the world was forcing even the wealthiest countries to cope with inflation, Prime Minister Imran Khan had yet again proved his empathy for the poor by announcing a historic relief package.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2022.