PESHAWAR, Aug 11: The NWFP cabinet at a meeting here on Wednesday approved amendments in the prison rules aimed at providing relief to prisoners.
The meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, approved an ordinance for the establishment of a separate prosecution service which would be sent to the governor before its being tabled in the provincial assembly for debate.
Amendments to the prison rule were approved in the light of the sub-committee's recommendations formed earlier for the purpose. The additional arrangements costing about Rs7 million, would improve the condition of prisoners.
The cabinet, which took for debate an 8-point agenda, also approved construction of five rooms with attached washrooms in each prison of the four central jails - Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Haripur.
It was decided that efforts would be made that all inmates coming out of jail should be made reformed citizens. The cabinet also formed a sub-committee, headed by Provincial Minister Amanullah Haqqani with Provincial Ministers Hafiz Akhtar Ali and Alhaj Ayaz as its members, and asked it to submit its recommendations for more reforms as early as possible.
TRAFFIC SYSTEM: The cabinet decided to create offices of motor vehicle examiners and road transport authority. However, it emphasized to properly monitor and regulate traffic system.
The cabinet also issued directives for necessary measures to discourage smuggling of livestock to Afghanistan. The cabinet also approved an strategy to encourage private sector investment in the province.
The cabinet also directed the health and finance departments to suggest improvement in the service structure of the health department's officials of various categories.
The cabinet taking the agenda to abolish the Kohistan Development Fund, agreed to wait and see the verdict of Supreme Court for the proposal to abolish the Kohistan Development Fund.
The chief minister issued directives for the "reformed tax collecting mechanism." The cabinet also agreed to enhance the share of Kohistan. Now the province and district Kohistan would share equal revenue generated through taxes in the said district.
However, the chief minister directed that the tax collecting mechanism should be more transparent. The chief minister, on behalf of the cabinet, asked the provincial inspection team to probe into the recovery of taxes in the previous and current fiscal year in Kohistan district as there were complaints of irregularities and corruption.
He said that in the light of enquiry of the provincial inspection team, stern action would be initiated against those who indulged in such irregularities and corruption.
