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LAHORE, Oct 28: The Punjab government has agreed to authorize all MPAs to inspect police stations falling in their respective constituencies.
Law Minister Raja Basharat told the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, amid thumping of desks by both the treasury and the opposition benches, that the government wanted to improve thana culture and was ready to empower elected members for alleviating problems of masses.
He opposed a bill moved by PPP’s Samiullah Khan for amending privileges of the house aimed at empowering all the members to inspect police stations like education and health institutions in their respective constituencies. The minister said that any such power must be under some rules and regulations.
The minister said he would not oppose legislation on the subject provided the mover withdrew his bill and agreed that the issue should be taken up by a house committee or business advisory committee through proper procedure.
Samiullah withdrew his bill through a vote by the house as Speaker Afzal Sahi referred the issue to the business advisory committee.
Earlier, the house voted out the Punjab Education Foundation Amendment Bill 2003, the Punjab Universities and the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education Malpractices Amendment Bill 2003, and the Bank of Punjab Amendment Bill 2003.
Education Minister Mian Imran Masood opposed a bill moved by Ehsanullah Waqas, Arshad Baggu and Muhammad Waqas who demanded presentation of the annual performance of the Education Foundation before the house.
He said the government was restructuring the Education Foundation and trying to allocate annual budget for it which had been suspended for the last many years.
The government was planning to induct people from the public sector in the foundation in a bid to make it more effective.
Mr Waqas regretted that the minister, who had been urging them in private meetings to grill the foundation authorities in the house, opposed it when they moved the bill to the effect.
He opposed the bill on checking malpractice in examination systems. The minister said the government was already considering to enact laws in this regard.
Finance Minister Husnain Bahadur Dreshak opposed the tabling of a bill seeking induction of two MPAs, to be elected by the house, as directors of the Bank of Punjab to safeguard interests of the government as well as the masses. He said all MPAs did not qualify the criteria set by the State Bank for being a director of a bank.
There was also no need to legislate for presenting annual report of the BoP in the house as any member could obtain the same through the finance department.
The chair kept pending the Punjab Health Foundation Bill, 2003, and the Punjab Foodstuff Control Amendment Bill, 2003, for next private members day for want of relevant ministers.
RESOLUTIONS: The house voted out a resolution, seeking medical bill reimbursement facility replacing the present medical allowance for government employees working in pay scales 1 to 15. The resolution was tabled by PML-N’s Shaikh Amjad Aziz.
The minister for finance opposed the resolution and said that the allowance had been given in 1987 on the demands of employees’ unions.
The house unanimously approved resolutions of PPP’s Rana Aftab Ahmad and Mian Zahoor Sajid Janjua.
Rana Aftab had sought writing off mark-up of defaulters of the defunct Small Business Finance Corporation who had obtained loans up to Rs300,000 each.
Mr Janjua had demanded writing off mark-up on the loans of the people who had been hit by recent floods and delaying recovery of principle amount from them for a year.
An interesting situation was seen in the house when Raja Basharat and other ministers forced Shaheena Assad of treasury benches to withdraw her resolution, demanding 10 per cent increase in pension and 15 per cent increase in commutation of government employees who died in the line of duty.
The speaker had to resort to show of hands when a voice vote could not clarify whether or not the house was ready to allow Mrs Assad to withdraw her resolution.
The resolution was finally disposed of with the consent of the house.
However, withdrawal by Mrs Assad under pressure of the army of ministers upset Ehsanullah Waqas and Arshad Baggu, both of the MMA, and they withdrew their proposals to amend the Punjab Supervision and Control of Children Homes Amendment Bill, 2003, presented by her before the house for second reading.
A notice of motion moved by Saghira Islam and Samina Naveed to amend rules of procedure of the house was also withdrawn by the mover when Raja Basharat pointed out that a house committee was already working on the subject.
The speaker, while referring all suggestions in the motion to the committee, asked the members to submit their proposals to amend rules of procedure of the house to the business advisory committee or the assembly secretary within 15 days.
