QUETTA: The Balochistan cabinet has decided to fill 58 vacant posts of naib tehsildar through the Public Service Commission to ensure merit in the recruitment process.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the provincial cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani here on Tuesday.

The meeting, with a view to expanding the property tax net, decided to start computerisation of matters involving public property following a pilot project in Quetta which would be implemented with the assistance of Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences.

While discussing the supply of power to government schools in remote areas of Balochistan, the cabinet unanimously approved installation of solar panels in rural areas of the province under the Roshan Balochistan Programme, which would fulfil the energy requirements of educational institutions.

The cabinet declared the chief secretary as an authority to approve an emergency clause of the Balochistan Public Procurement Regulatory Authority. It also approved the tele-medicine pilot project in four districts of Balochistan.

The cabinet, while discussing the audit of government departments through finance authorities, directed the IT department to submit an MoU regarding the internal audit unit, internal audit charter and e-filing system.

The food secretary briefed the cabinet members on the procurement of wheat in Balochistan. He said the government had delivered seeds to farmers while the food department had been disinfecting warehouses in order to protect the cultivated wheat from germs.

Finance Secretary Noorul Haq Baloch informed the cabinet about economic challenges faced by Balochistan due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government has allocated Rs505 million for provincial governments and Akhuwat Foundation’s joint relief package through which up to 25,000 interest-free loans would be provided to daily wage earners and poor families,” the finance secretary said, adding that applications were being scrutinised while cheques distribution would commence over the next two days.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2020