LG polls: Govt has asked ECP to conduct delimitation, says Mushtaq Ghani

Provincial cabinet, chaired by CM Pervez Khattak, meets after four months.

PESHAWAR:

The provincial government is ready to hold local government (LG) elections in November and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been asked to conduct and complete the process of delimitation, said Minister for Information Mushtaq Ghani on Thursday.

Speaking to the media after a meeting of the provincial cabinet at the Civil Secretariat, Ghani said the government has made use of the biometric system necessary through an amendment bill to the LG Act and has entrusted delimitation to the ECP.

According to the minister, at the meeting the cabinet approved that the number of members of the K-P Services Tribunal would be increased to five from three. Moreover, 300 new levies check posts would be built in Buner district, and the recommendations have been sent to the federal government.

The cabinet also approved maternity leave for women in government departments, said Ghani.



Ministers’ moot

The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was held after a gap of about four months.

According to a press release issued by the information department, Khattak said the PTI-led coalition government endeavours to eliminate corruption from the government and ensure supremacy of law, merit and justice.

At the meeting, he urged ministers and administrative secretaries to work round the clock to achieve all the developmental targets set by the government.

“If funds collected from taxation are spent transparently, people benefit from development projects and welfare measures. Subsequently, they will not hesitate to pay taxes in future,” said Khattak.

The CM also directed relevant authorities to remove any hurdles which might delay the LG polls, stated the handout.

Incentives for business

Talking about establishing industries, Khattak said new industrial estates are being set up in different parts of the province. In the first phase, an industrial estate will be established at Kohat-Karak boundary and land has already been identified for it, while a second estate would be set up in Malakand, added the CM.

“K-P has become unfeasible for industries due to ill-conceived policies of the past government as well as distance from sea ports. However, cheap electricity could pave way for industrialisation and economic growth in the province,” said Khattak.

The handout further quoted the CM as saying the federal government had agreed to let K-P use the surplus gas it produces, and thus 300 megawatts of electricity would be generated from gas.  This electricity would be supplied to industrial estates at concessional rates to attract investment, said the CM.



Moreover, Khattak also issued directives that work be started on two double track corridors from Nasirpur to Karkhano Market, Peshawar, under the Peshawar Mass Transit System. “We need investors for such mega projects,” said Khattak.

Commenting on the government’s decision to provide free education to children with disabilities, Khattak hoped the move would encourage parents to enrol such children in schools and help them in becoming productive citizen.

It was also decided at the meeting that work on bulk tree plantation be expedited in the province, the handout stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2014.