LAHORE, Aug 12: The Punjab cabinet has approved distribution of 12.5-acre plots among landless tillers and five-marla plots among homeless people of the province.

The schemes were approved at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi here on Tuesday. The five-marla scheme would be launched in Bahawalpur and Faisalabad and the 12.5-acre scheme in Muzaffargarh in the near future.

The chief minister said the decision to give away land in densely-populated areas of the province free of cost would prove to be an important step towards elimination of poverty. It would provide shelter to the homeless and increase agriculture produce in the province.

He directed the departments concerned to ensure distribution of land under the scheme only among deserving people. To ensure transparency, land should only be distributed among local people, he added.

The chief minister further directed that plots should be allotted through ballot in areas where the number of applicants was more. He said the government was also planning more facilities for the landless tillers.

The cabinet earlier reviewed the law and order situation in the province, expressing dissatisfaction over the overall police performance.

The chief minister said registration of cases was no solution. The solution was linked to arresting the culprits and ensuring return of the recovered property to its owners.

Senior Board of Revenue member Ziaur Rehman briefed the cabinet on flood situation. He said all rivers in the province had been in low or medium flood so far. A survey was being conducted to assess the damage in affected areas, he said.

Housing Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani was deputed to deliver relief goods worth Rs6.6 million to the Sindh government.