LAHORE     -    The Punjab cabinet which met here under the chair of Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi decided to cancel salt mining licences issued to 56 companies against rules during the previous tenure.

The cabinet granted approval to start proceedings in order to cancel the issued licences according to rules and regulations. In this connection, a company has been constituted to fulfill all rules and regulations about cancellation of licences.

The meeting was informed in a briefing that a loss worth billions of rupees was being incurred to the national exchequer by issuing licences against rules. Like-minded companies were being issued licences without undergoing bidding and open auction procedure. The concerned officers further told the cabinet members that 32 more companies were being issued licences while issuance of licences to 24 other companies was presently lying at the offer stage.

The cabinet granted approval to make the licences issuance procedure transparent for the salt mining through an open auction.

Also, approval was granted for the new amended Rock Salt Policy of Punjab. The cabinet also decided to grant a mega relief for the male and female students travelling on the Orange Line Metro Train and Metro Bus Service under which male and female students in uniform will be provided free travel facility on the Orange Line Metro Train and Metro Bus. Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi directed the Energy department to undertake steps for energy saving under Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s Energy Conservation Policy.

The CM directed to reduce used units of electricity in the government departments and further directed the department to implement energy saving policy and sought a report from the secretaries with regard to the usage of electricity.