LAHORE - Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired the 25th meeting of the Punjab Cabinet at 90-Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam on Tuesday.
The meeting approved reconstitution of Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) along with the regulation of online transport companies and private vehicles in the province.
Approval was also given for an amendment to the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965, which would allow regulation of App-based ride-hailing companies and private vehicles.
The meeting decided to forward the matter of fixing the fare of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train to the Punjab Assembly to hold a debate for a final decision. A proposal for canceling permits of other means of transport on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train route was rejected.
The Chief Minister ordered for implementing one-dish and time restriction at marriage celebrations strictly throughout the province and made it clear that legal action would be initiated in case of any violation. The Chief Secretary and IGP Punjab should ensure implementation of one-dish and time restriction policy, he added.
The meeting decided in principle to provide state land for Naya Pakistan Housing Programme according to the law and further decided to review again regularisation of contract employees of the Public Health Engineering Department.
The cabinet approved amending Article 4 of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Act, 2014. Similarly, ex-post-facto approval of summary of service level agreement for provision of funds for operational expenditures of GIS-based Survey and Computerization of Urban Non-Moveable Property Tax Project for financial years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. Approval of signing an MoU between Lahore and Xuzhou city of Jiangsu province of China was also given.
Moreover, approval for signing a letter of intent for declaring Faisalabad and Qingdao, Rawalpindi and Wuhan, Bahawalpur and Nanjing, Taxila and Datong and Multan and Xian as sister cities was granted by the meeting.
The draft agreement between the Population Welfare Department and private service provider for franchising of clinical services phase-II for provision of family planning services under annual development programme was approved. Reconstitution of the committee was also approved under Section 3(1) of The Punjab Special Premises (Preservation), Ordinance, 1985.
Similarly, approval for establishment of Times Institute in Multan and rules and regulations for appointment of Chairman Punjab Zakat and Ushr Council was granted, along with the approval of Punjab Shops and Establishment Amendment Bill, 2019 and draft bill of Punjab Industrial Relations Amendment Act, 2019.
The meeting deferred the approval of the draft bill of The Factories Amendment Act, 2019 and ordered for re-submitting the reformulated bill.
Denotification of spare land for construction of lift-stations for sewerage system in Lahore’s union councils 117, 118 and 120 were approved. Meanwhile, approval was granted to amend Quaid-e-Azam Library Lahore (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Regulations, 1984. It also decided to amend Notification No SOR-IV(S&GAD)15-1/2020 dated 21-5-2012. The decisions made in the meeting of National Tourism Coordination Board were endorsed, along with the decisions made in the 23rd and 24th meetings of the Standing Committee on Finance & Development.
Provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, Chief Secretary and secretaries of departments concerned also attended the meeting. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, took to the micro-blogging website Twitter said that Punjab Govt would pay billions of rupee subsidy annually on train service once it became operational, terming Orange Train a white elephant. He went on saying, if we fixed the ticket at Rs60 for commuters still we had to pay Rs10 billion annual subsidy on it.
Usman Buzdar while raising questioned asked if the government should spend this huge amount on bus service or build hospitals and schools. He said that the provincial cabinet has sent this issue to Punjab Assembly so that public representatives can make a better decision on it.
- administers anti-polio drops, pledges to wipe out from Punjab
On the second day of the anti-polio campaign in Punjab, a special ceremony was held at 90-Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam on Tuesday with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar as the chief guest, who administered anti-polio vaccine to children. Expressing his determination to make the anti-polio campaign a success, the CM said that the nation would get rid of the crippling decease with concerted efforts. “It is my message that everyone should play his role for success of the campaign,” he added.
“A target to administer anti-polio vaccine to two crore children has been set and we will achieve this goal,” pledged the chief minister. “In order to protect the future of nation from disability, this campaign should be moved ahead as a united drive as those nations make progress which develop and promote healthy societies.” The Chief Minister said that the field teams should ensure that no child was left behind without administering anti-polio vaccine. “Saving innocent children from polio is our joint responsibility as it is our national duty,” he added.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Provincial Housing Minister Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Advisor (Health) Haneef Pitafi, Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman and others were also present.
