LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday unanimously withdrew proposed sales tax on inter-city AC buses and the chief minister directed to amend the finance bill accordingly, hoping that the move would provide relief to the people.

Presiding over the cabinet meeting in the Punjab Assembly cafeteria, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said his government would take many more steps for giving relief to the people in the future as well. “I am grateful to the cabinet for extending support during a difficult economic situation,” he added.

The meeting also approved an MoU about joint financial obligations between the federation and the provinces and gave ex post facto approval of posting of retired Capt Arif Nawaz as inspector general of police.

The CM said the cabinet members have worked day and night for the betterment of the province and their hard work was yielding positive results. The new budget would usher in an era of development and prosperity.

Directs LEAs to expedite drive against land grabbers

Meanwhile, the chief minister also directed law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) to expedite campaign against land grabbers throughout the province and the IGP was given instructions for a meaningful action against them.

The RPOs and DPOs should ensure the elimination of land grabbers in their respective districts as such elements would not be tolerated. He said indiscriminate action should be initiated against the land grabbers how powerful they might be. “Jail is the best place for such elements occupying properties and lands of other people and action should be initiated against them under a policy of zero tolerance,” he said.

MPAs FROM FAISALABAD: Later, the CM held a detailed meeting with the MPAs belonging to the Faisalabad division at the committee room of the Punjab Assembly. The assembly members talked in detail about the problems of their constituencies and public welfare projects relating to their areas.

The chief minister issued on-the-spot instructions for the solution to their problems and announced starting a new programme for improving civic amenities. He said the government was starting a new programme for improving sewerage and cleanliness system, provision of clean drinking water and other facilities of life at a cost of billions of rupees. The Safe City Project would also be started in Faisalabad through a public-private partnership mode, he added.

The chief minister directed the divisional commissioner and deputy commissioners to inspect hospitals and educational institutions for personally monitoring the ground situation and adoption of steps for further betterment.

He said water filtration plants would be installed in Faisalabad division under Aab Pak Authority.

He said the ministry of railways had given approval to the renovation of Jhang railway station while sub-campus of Agricultural University in Toba Tek Singh would be upgraded as well.

The chief minister took notice of assembly members’ complaints about non-posting of MS General Hospital (Faisalabad) for the last eight months and ordered his immediate posting.

He said Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology would be expanded and trauma centres would be added in far-flung tehsils. He said Jhang and Toba Tek Singh would also be included in Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme.

Provincial ministers Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Ashifa Riaz, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad, Ajmal Cheema, Taimoor Khan Bhatti, Mehr Muhammad Aslam, chief whip in Punjab Assembly Syed Abbas Ali Shah, chief secretary, ACS, ACS (Home), IGP, chairman P&D, commissioner and RPO Faisalabad division, DCs and DPOs of Faisalabad, TT Singh, Jhang and Chiniot districts, besides secretaries of concerned departments, attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2019