PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday approved absorption of Khasadar and Levies forces into regular police force.

Chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, the meeting was attended by ministers, chief secretary and administrative secretaries.

According to a statement, the cabinet discussed a 12-point agenda and decided to permanently absorb Khasadar and Levies into police force. The benefits applicable to the police department would be allowed to the absorbed personnel from tribal districts.

CM chairs meeting to discuss 12-point agenda

The chief minister told the meeting that the newly regularised personnel of the regular police, earlier known as Levies and Khasadar forces, would be permanently regular personnel and would be entitled to all benefits allowed to the regular police service.

He also appreciated the special police force for having a dynamic role in fighting against terrorism.

The statement quoted Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai as saying that the cabinet approved Levies and Khasadar along with Special Police Force Service Acts, 2019.

It said that the approval would make all those officials, recruited either under contractual arrangements or fixed pay, regular police personnel on permanent basis. Under the law, all those personnel working from August 1, 2019 would become permanent personnel of police.

The cabinet decided to compensate the people affected by Kanday Road accident in Upper Kohistan that left 25 persons dead and eight injured. Each family of the dead would be given Rs500, 000 while the injured would get Rs100, 000 each.

The cabinet also approved the rules under KP Finance Act, 2013 in respect of KP Sales Tax Online Services (Audit Rules 2019). This decision will make the IT-based new system transparent for the sale tax (audit) throughout the province.

Another decision was made by the cabinet according to which KPRA would follow the FBR recovery rules temporarily in view of the non-existence of tax recovery under the KP Finance Act, 2013. It will improve the sales tax recovery system in the province.

The provincial cabinet also agreed to pay Rs405.229 million for acquisition of 50-kanal of land for establishment of training centre for police in Sarai Naurang, Lakki Marwat according to the verdict of Peshawar High Court.

The cabinet also approved relaxation in the relevant rules for purchase of contraceptive medicines. The cabinet approved board for environment improvement fund to be chaired by secretary environment with other members such including secretaries of finance, planning and development, local government, industries and social welfare.

The statement said that the cabinet approved KP Vagrancy Restraint Act, 2019 for rehabilitation of beggars and their proper look after. The cabinet also approved some necessary amendments of technical nature in KP Local Government Act, 2013, transferring Galiyat Development Authority and Kaghan Development Authority from local government department to tourism department.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2019