LAHORE: The Punjab Cabinet has approved allotment of the state land to landless farmers of Cholistan and constituted a scrutiny committee to complete the process in a transparent manner.

In a meeting on Saturday, it approved the financial aid package for the farmers whose crops were damaged in recent rainstorms and hailstorms. As many as 55 villages of 27 districts have been declared calamity-hit and exempted from Malia and Aabiyana (water service charges).

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar directed the authorities to make estimates of the damage to crops caused by the floods in some parts of Jhelum.

The meeting approved amendment to the Government Land Disposal Policy and the leasing out of the government land in open auction. A decision has been made to give ownership rights of the land leased to the landless famers. The farmers, who would cultivate 80pc of the land, would get ownership rights.

Approves aid for farmers’ losses in recent rains, allowance for police, civil servants, grading system for Matric, Inter

The meeting decided to introduce the grading system in matriculation and intermediate exams in phases and the first phase of the implementation had been approved.

The CM said the grading system would be a vital measure towards the uniform education system besides ending cramming by the students. He said the new system would enable students to compete at international level.

“A committee has been constituted to review the implementation of the second and third phases of the grading system,” CM Buzdar added.

The Cabinet approved the Punjab Tourism Policy under which the government would introduce and enhance the existing degrees in the tourism, hotel and hospitality industry.

The government would encourage public-private partnership to develop the state land as a tourism resorts and spots across the province.

The chief minister said a special package would be prepared for the interest of tourists and special benefits would be given to private investors, who were interested in investing in tourism sector.

The Cabinet gave a go-ahead to restore the frozen daily allowance of Punjab Police at the rate of 2013. The Punjab Highway Patrol Police and traffic wardens would also be entitled to get the allowance with the same percentage.

It also accorded approval to the executive allowance for the civil officers appointed on the cadre post. The civil officers will get the executive allowance equal to 1.5 times of the basic salary. The special allowance equal to 1.5 times of the basic salary was also approved for BPS-1 to BPS-16 employees of the Punjab Cabinet secretariat on the instructions of the CM.

The meeting also approved giving land in the Cholistan area of Sadiqabad tehsil under the public-private partnership for oil exploration.

The Cabinet approved appointment of members of the board of directors (BoD) of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, Sialkot. It approved the audit report prepared by the Auditor General of Pakistan for the Punjab government accounts for the financial years of 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. The audit report would be presented in the Punjab Assembly after the approval of the cabinet. The recommendations of the committee formed by the CM were also approved.

The meeting was attended by the provincial ministers, advisers, special advisers, chief secretary and administrative secretaries besides other senior officials concerned.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2019