PESHAWAR - Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday presiding over the cabinet meeting that made a number of decisions.

The chief minister said that the cabinet approved a draft law aimed at banning corporal punishment in schools, adding that the previous laws in this regard were strengthened.

The chief minister asked WAPDA to immediately release Rs22 billion to KP in net hydel profit. He revealed that the government would put on ground overall design of improved educational facilities including training 83,000 teachers.

Khattak said that the concept of reward and punishment would continue in education sector.

The cabinet also approved development funds for district Charsadda. The chief minister directed for transparent and just distribution of resources in the district.

Khattak said that amendment in the civil procedural code for settlement and completion of civil cases was a good decision and pro-poor initiative. Under the law, all the civil cases would be decided within a year. The government, he added, has wound up previous law that used to encourage perpetual litigation.

The chief minister said that the government had also finalised recommendations for amendments in criminal procedural code as well.

The chief minister also directed for accelerated work on BRT project and provision of buses in time. He said that the government would not subsidise the project, but it would generate resources itself.

KP FOOD AUTHORITY SEALS FAKE BEVERAGES FACTORY

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority Mardan team sealed a factory in Paar Hoti area for producing fake branded beverages.

The authority said in a statement that on information shared via complaint register system on KP Food Authority’s website, the action was materialised and the factory was locked down. It was further said that similar action had also been taken in Small Industrial Estate, Abbottabad against Sarban Oil Mills on non-compliance with safety standards.

The statement also said that the authority was planning to mainstream ghee business in the province and regulate the food business and improve it up to the standards.

About awareness campaign, the authority’s communication officer Ataullah said that social media and traditional media campaigns had been lunched while standing orders of procedures regarding food business had also been distributed in the target groups via food safety officers. “The food handlers are aware of the authority now, and even the industries are inviting food safety officers to get improved their businesses,” he added. He said that more than 2,000 improvement notices had been served to food handlers across the province.