Peshawar - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has set nine conditions for taking control of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) from the federal government.
“We are ready to take (full) control of Pesco from generation to transmission to distribution” for which, a letter has been sent to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Federal Minister for Water and Power, said KPK Minister for information Shah Farman on Monday.
Briefing the media persons regarding the decisions of 8th provincial cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, he said through the letter they have set nine conditions for taking over control of the power company.
Commenting on the statement of PTI chief about Kalabagh Dam, he said that there was need to develop consensus on construction of KBD as a single province cannot take decision on this important national hydro power development project. Informing about the other decisions of the provincial cabinet, he said the amendments in the Provincial Hydel Power Policy 2006 have been approved, which will attract investment in the province and raise the level of confidence of investors.
The minister said the KPK government has decided to recruit doctors on contractual basis to meet the growing deficiencies in health sector institutions. He said directives have been issued to provincial Health department in this regard. It was also decided to recruit medical officers on contract, on vacant posts such as leave vacancies and deputation vacancies, he added.
Farman Shah said the Education Department would disburse Rs500 million to the students on merit. Additional funds would be provided if the number of students increased. The students of Deeni Madaris having equivalent degree would also be the beneficiaries of the scheme. It was he cabinet agreed to introduce skilled youth program in the province.
The existing infrastructure of the institutions would be used to provide training and necessary professional education to the youth so that they could get employment in the open market. The minister said the cabinet also agreed to make legislation in Auqaf, Haj, Religious and Minority Affairs Departments in pursuance of the 18th Amendment of the constitution.
Similarly, the minister said the amendment to the river protection ordinance 2002 in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been also approved. There will be complete ban on Forest Harvesting and illegal cutting of forests till a transparent and foolproof mechanism is evolved by a task force, as per decision of the cabinet, and a broad-based guidelines and policy for the government land throughout the province would be formulated in this regard, he said. It was also agreed to authorise the federal government for legislation on the Important/Export and legislation of pesticides (Agriculture), he informed.
Farman said the process of land computerisation has been initiated, which will be extended to all districts of the province, for which resources would be provided in the next fiscal year. He said the government has decided to give maximum incentives to the land owners in district Swabi during execution of mega development projects in the district.
The minister said that to avoid person-specific use of funds the government has decided that advertisements of the public sector institutions would be released through Information Department. According to the decision, he said no picture of any public office holder would be published in all such advertisements. He said the prohibition of usurious loans bills 2013 has been conditionally approved, with directions to make it more comprehensive and un-ambiguous to give relief to all victims of this curse.
He informed that the government has given approval of a three-member austerity committee, under economy/austerity measures, which would be headed by him and include KKP Senior Minister Sirajul Haq and Information Technology Minister Sharam Khan Tarkai. The minister further said the Administration Department should get vacate all government residences from illegal occupation.
Shah Farman said the cabinet gave green signal for legislation on the security of sensitive/vulnerable places and business establishments. The meeting agreed to public-private partnership bill 2013. It will encourage private sector and would ensure efficient utilisation of resources. It was approved monthly stipends for unemployed youth of all public sector institutions of KPK including students studying in institutions of KPK holding master degree.