LAHORE - Punjab cabinet which met here on Thursday with Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair approved the interim wheat policy for release of wheat to flour mills. With the release of government wheat, the 20-kg flour bag will be available at Rs 850 instead of Rs 1050 in the market.
The meeting decided to provide wheat to flour mills at the rate of Rs1,475 per maund and interim wheat policy will be continued for two months.
The Food Department will provide government wheat quota to functional flour mills only.
According to an official handout, the decision to release government wheat to flour mills two months earlier has been made to provide flour to the people at an affordable rate.
The cabinet directed the Food Department to submit a targeted subsidy plan along with recommendations within 30 days.
Sources said that cabinet did not take up the issue of allotment of state land in Cholistan and Rahimyar Khan to the UAE ruler though it was on the top of the agenda of the cabinet meeting. The land was proposed to be allotted to the UAE ruler on lease.
The meeting approved the draft bill of amendment in Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Act, 2014-15, constitution of search committee for the appointment of Vice-Chancellor of public sector universities, amendments in Punjab Infectious Diseases Ordinance, 2020 and amendments in Punjab Urban Immovable Property Tax Rules, 1958.
It also decided to table an Act in the Punjab Assembly for the establishment of Time Institute in Multan.
These decisions were earlier made in the special meeting of cabinet standing committee for finance and development on May 13, 2020. The cabinet also endorsed the provincial budget along with the ADP 2020-21.
The decisions made in the 26th meeting of the cabinet standing committee for legislation were endorsed as well. One-year extension in the contract of DG Punjab Forensic Science Agency Dr Muhamamd Ashraf Tahir also got formal approval of the cabinet.
Addressing the meeting, the CM asserted that the government was committed to providing relief to the people despite economic crunch and vowed that the public welfare journey will be moved forward with great speed.
“My team is working hard and every necessary step will be taken for giving relief to the citizens”, he observed.
The CM also directed the health department to take necessary steps to ensure the availability of oxygen in the hospitals.
Ministers, advisors, special assistants and concerned secretaries attended the meeting.
process for issuance of NOCs for construction industry simplified
The provincial government has simplified the process of issuance of NOCs in the construction industry through e-governance reforms.
In this regard, the Chief minister said in a statement on Thursday that NOCs could now be obtained from e-Khidmat centres through one-window operation and the people will not have to wait for years for the issuance of NOCs / permission for private, commercial or industrial constructions. “Now, the NOCs will be issued in a few weeks within the stipulated time”, he said. He further stated that the permissions relating to approval of maps, construction completion certificate, NOCs for change of place or permissions relating to the approval of private residential colonies will be given under the new schedule.
In the first phase, he said, these services have been started in the e-Khidmat Centre at divisional level and people will not have to visit different offices for the solution of their problems.
Now, the documents relating to development authorities, corporations and agencies will be available under one-roof in e-Khidmat Centres, he added.
The CM believed that these reforms will strengthen the economy and new job opportunities will also be created.
“Besides connecting through an e-Khidmat portal or mobile application, the citizens can also call 08009100 to know about the status of their applications”, the CM concluded.
Assembly members
call on CM
Members of the Punjab Assembly including Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharakpuri, Ch. Ashraf Ali, Muhammad Ghiasuddin, Azhar Abbas, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Muhammad Faisal Khan Niazi, Nishat Ahmed Khan Daha and others met with Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar and apprised him about the problems of their constituencies. Talking on this occasion, the CM assured to solve their problems and added that the journey of public service will be continued under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He emphasised the government will fully ensure that genuine issues of the elected representatives are solved and no one will be allowed to create hurdles.
Chief Whip in Punjab Assembly Syed Abbas Ali Shah and Tahir Bashir Cheema were also present.