LAHORE - The Punjab Assembly yesterday approved four bills including The Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2017 with a majority vote, rejecting all amendments suggested by the Opposition legislators.
The legislation removed bar on double membership of mayor, deputy mayor, chairman and vice chairman. The much awaited legislation authorised deputy mayors and vice chairmen to preside over sessions of metropolitan corporations, municipal corporations, municipal committees and district councils. In case of more than one deputy mayor, tenure of chairing meetings will be six months for each, starting from the senior most in age. In case of absence of deputy mayor and vice chairman, member of a council will conduct the proceedings.
The PA also passed The Punjab Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2017, The Punjab Land Records Authority Bill 2016 and The University of Home Economics Bill 2016 as the treasury managed to ensure presence of legislators in required numbers after the Opposition pointed quorum.
The Punjab Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2017 enhanced importance of provincial quality control board, chief drugs controller and drug testing laboratories in the province. The bill enhanced punishments in offences relating to spurious and substandard drugs.
The passage of The University of Home Economics Bill 2016 paved way for up-gradation of college to the level of university. The university can establish campuses after approval from the government.
Earlier, session started an hour and five minutes beyond the scheduled time with Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the chair. On the start of proceedings on Question-Hour on agriculture, social welfare and baitul mall, Opposition legislator Ahsan Riaz Fatyana pointed quorum. Though the treasury had arranged lunch, it took at least 37 minutes to restart proceedings after completing quorum.
Both Minister Agriculture Naeem Akhtar and Parliamentary Secretary Social Welfare and Baitul Mall Ilyas Ansari remained on the receiving end, trying to defer questions for next sitting.
As a female legislator wrongly addressed Naeem Akhtar as parliamentary secretary, he clarified that he was holding portfolio of minister agriculture.
To a supplementary question put forth by JI’s Dr Waseem Akhtar, Ilyas Ansari said that process of setting up zakat committees at district level would be completed within two months.
Dr Waseem Akhtar said that he would raise a strong voice if the promise was not fulfilled. The chair said that there would no need of such an act as parliamentary secretary would be asked to inform the house about the status of zakat committees. To a question of Hina Pervaiz Butt, he said that Social Welfare Department was not running any dispensary in Lahore.
On completion of agenda, the session was adjourned till Thursday (today) morning.
IQTIDAR GILANI