QUETTA: The Balochistan cabinet has constituted a committee to estimate the damage caused by flooding, heavy rain and snowfall, which affected as many as 20 districts in the province during winter.

The meeting was presided over by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on Wednesday.

The committee will comprise a senior member of the Board of Revenue, communication secretary, director general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and other officials concerned.

The committee was asked to start work soon and submit its report to the government on the steps taken for the rehabilitation of flood victims.

The cabinet directed the public health engineering department to finalise documentation in order to shift electricity to solar energy, which would help make functional water schemes that were stopped due to shortage of power. The provincial government had approved Rs4 billion for the project to ensure access of clean drinking water to the masses.

Provincial cabinet okays four amendments to Balochistan Land Revenue policy

The Balochistan Safe City Authority Bill was also approved by the cabinet.

The chief minister and the home minister would be the chairman and vice chairman of the authority, respectively.

The cabinet decided to call Balochistan public endowment fund meetings on a weekly basis in order to approve financial assistance for needy patients. It was decided that Rs3bn of the fund would be issued in this regard.

It approved four new amendments in the Balochistan Land Revenue policy, which would ensure women’s due share in family properties within 30 days.

The meeting also approved a land record management system for digitalisation of provincial land record. The cabinet approved funds for constructing a bridge over the Hinglaj River, which is a sacred place for Hindu pilgrims.

“Provincial ministers should establish departmental committees to review their respective departments,” Mr Alyani said, and directed all secretaries to share recommendations for such committees.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2019