LAHORE, Dec 10: The Punjab cabinet on Monday decided to allot 20,000 three and five marla plots of land in various housing schemes of the Housing Department on a no profit, no loss basis to the low income people.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Punjab cabinet. Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retired) presided over the meeting.

Under the allotment policy of the previous government, the Housing Department secretary told the cabinet, land was allotted through open auction. He said this made it difficult for the poor to buy it. The present government has decided to sell land on a no profit, no loss basis. Further, the buyers will be allowed to pay the cost of land in instalments.

The secretary told the cabinet the laws were being amended to enable the government to allot 20,000 plots in the near future. The policy would also be applicable for the allotment of land in the future housing schemes.

Under the new policy, government employees, the disabled, and minorities would be eligible to buy the plots.

The cabinet also decided to continue the ban on the production of the black shopper bags in the Punjab. The meeting decided that the district governments be given the task of implementing the ban.

The governor directed that a mass media campaign should be launched to increase awareness of the harmful impact of the use of plastic bags on the environment.

The governor told the meeting the Punjab would get another Rs3 billion from the federal government as its share from the foreign grants and assistance. From the additional funds, Rs1 billion on social welfare and public health, Rs800 million on education and Rs1 billion on development schemes. The funds, he said, would be spent through the district governments.