While the chief minister announced to spare his helicopter for the rescue operations, the cabinet ministers pledged to give one month’s salary to help the flood affectees in their difficult time.
Besides other measures, the cabinet also endorsed the decision to declare flood-affected areas of Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Mianwali as calamity-stricken. The farmers in these areas will no longer be required to pay water cess and other dues to the government. It was also decided to meet the needs of other flood-affected provinces as the cabinet announced the dispatch of medicines and medical staff to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan for the affectees.
“The Punjab government stands with the affectees of other provinces in the hour of need, ‘’ said the chief minister while addressing the meeting which also offered prayers for the departed souls besides extending sympathies to the bereaved heirs.
The CM directed to speed up the relief activities in a systematic manner and said that tents, food hampers and other equipment will be provided in the affected areas as needed. The government will also redress the damages to houses, crops and livestock and every rightful person will be given his right; he said and directed that no one’s right should be usurped.
The cabinet approved the release of special funds amounting to Rs 4 billion for the rehabilitation of the damages to the irrigation infrastructure caused by rains and floods. It was decided to hand over the auction process of state lands in DG Khan district to the cabinet standing committee for privatisation that will give its final recommendations after considering all the issues.
Punjab govt to dispatch medicines, medics to Balochistan, Sindh and KP, says Elahi
The cabinet approved naming Nicholson Road Lahore after the late politician Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan. Decision to this effect was made on the request of Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan’s son Nawabzada Mansoor Ali Khan who is one of the members of the provincial cabinet.
Late Nasrullah Khan spent a major part of his life at his Nicholson Road residence which remained a center of political activities for over two decades during the MRD and ARD movements launched against General Ziaul Haq and General Musharraf respectively.
It was decided to entrust the matter of staff of phase two of the PSDP/ADP funded program for water courses to the committee. Extension of the post of president LDA Tribunal Mansoor Ahmad Khan was also approved.
The cabinet also gave its approval to the constitution of a new search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors of public universities with Shafqat Mahmood as its convener. It also granted approval to the appointment of the chairperson and judicial members of the Punjab Revenue Authority’s appellate tribunal and the annual calendar of the 5th parliamentary year 2022-23 of the Punjab Assembly.
The cabinet approved the annual report of the Punjab Public Service Commission for the year 2021 and the annual report of the Office of the Ombudsman Punjab for 2021.
The reconstitution of the cabinet standing committees formed in the first meeting of the cabinet was approved as well. The decisions of the first meeting of the cabinet were confirmed. A briefing was given about the loss of life and property caused by the floods and relief activities.
The provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and senior officials attended the meeting.