LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Friday approved release of Rs5 billion to the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) for Prime Minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing Programme.

Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Lahore on Friday evening and is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the project. The PTI government had committed that it would give five million houses to the less fortunate.

Chairing the 10th provincial cabinet meeting at the Chief Minister Secretariat, Usman Buzdar deferred the proposal of reviewing the fare of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service.

The cabinet decided abolishing the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA) Act, 1997 and approved setting up Khal Panchayat Authority. The Khal Panchayat Act, 2019 was also given approval by the cabinet. It will comprise farmers.

The meeting decided opening the wheat procurement campaign and the Punjab government would purchase wheat from every farmer who would bring it to the procurement centre and the previous procedure had been revised to facilitate the farmers. “Every grain of wheat will be purchased during the wheat procurement campaign and farmers will be given every facility at the procurement centres,” said Mr Buzdar.

The chief minister said the farmers’ rights would be fully protected and reward of their hard work be given. The meeting decided to give assistance package to the farmers of the areas affected by rains and hailstorm.

The meeting gave approval to the demands of food department in supplementary budget grants for the financial year 2018-19.

The cabinet meeting expressed its deep concern over surfacing of a polio case in Lahore and decided to take steps on a war footing for the eradication of polio. The chief minister directed devising comprehensive strategy, adding that line departments should make coordinated efforts. He said the health department should take necessary steps on an emergency basis for the eradication of polio and emergent steps be taken during this period of emergency. He also sought a comprehensive plan within two days.

Amendments to rule 12 (A) and 12 (B) of police award of compensation rules, 1989 were approved. This amendment would help provide more facilities to the families of police martyrs. The cabinet also gave its nod for amendment to the family claim policy.

The cabinet decided to set up a waste management company in D.G Khan and the establishment of the same was approved by the cabinet. The meeting gave approval to amendment to Waqf properties administration rules, 2002 and the draft of guidelines for the development of hydrocarbon seepages and the draft of sentencing law.

The meeting endorsed the minutes of the eighth and ninth meetings of the Punjab cabinet along with the endorsement of decisions made in the seventh and eighth meetings of cabinet’s standing committee on finance and development.

Provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and other officials concerned attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2019