LAHO RE-The Punjab government on Wednesday laid 11 bills in Punjab Assembly and the Speaker referred them to concerned standing committees of the House for recommendations. Changes in Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001 and Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1967 are required to be made after Punjab governments decision to take back devolved functions of the provincial revenue department from district governments. The changes in Punjab Laws have been necessitated after passage of the 18th amendment by the Parliament. A minister also moved a motion to approve proposed amendments in the Rules of Procedure of the assembly as required under the 18th amendment of the Constitution. According to one of the amendments in the local government law, the post of DCO in all the five City District Governments will be down-graded from BS21 to BS-20. Furthermore, an amendment in Section 182 of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001 (XIII of 2001) has been proposed for effective control of District Revenue officers by establishing offices at the Divisional level. The posts of EDO Literacy, IT and Law are also being proposed for abolition. As regards changes in the assembly rules of procedure, it has been stated in the statement of objects and reasons that after numerous changes in the Constitution under 18th amendment, consequential amendments in assembly rules are required to be made, as the Constitution now provides for the direct election of the Chief Minister instead of ascertainment not requiring him to seek confidence vote , and also there is no requirement of previous sanction of the President for any legislation to be passed by the Provincial Assembly after the omission of the Sixth Schedule from the Constitution. Similarly, under Article 116(3) of the Constitution, if the Governor fails to assent the Bill passed by the Assembly within ten days, the assent shall be deemed to have been given and now the life of an Ordinance can only be extended by the Provincial Assembly for another period of ninety days under Article 128 of the Constitution. The Minister for Finance is bound, biannually, to lay the report regarding implementation of the award of National Finance Commission in terms of clause (3B) of Article 160 of the Constitution. Since all these constitutional provisions also require to be incorporated in the assembly rules of procedure, hence they are being amended accordingly.