LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered strict implementation of one-dish restriction on wedding events across the province.

She was presiding over the cabinet meeting on Tuesday that also approved the provision of free medicines to cancer patients. The cabinet approved empowering deputy commissioners to enforce Section 144 in Punjab.

Approval was given for direct foreign investment of $350m in a cement plant project at Choa Saidan Shah in district Chakwal. The no objection certificate (NOC) was granted for setting up three new cement plants and expansion of four cement plants. The meeting agreed to link the approval of water supply and sanitation projects to the permission of the local government department in the province.

A consensus was reached to release Rs10bn in seed money to the CBD Authority for Nawaz Sharif IT City. The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Central Business District was praised for convincing the Chinese companies to establish campuses in Nawaz Sharif IT City.

It was briefed that Saudi Academy Riyadh was ready to open a campus in Lahore’s Nawaz Sharif IT City. Ten towers will be built in the IT City, with twin towers being built immediately. The launch of the IT City will take place in May.

The meeting granted permission to hand over the charge to the ADC instead of ADCR in local bodies till the election of public representatives. The agreement was reached to set the fee for platinum category number plates for vehicles at one million rupees and the officer’s appointment was approved for the design of personalized/vanity number plates. It was agreed to conduct a performance audit of every ministry.

The approval was granted to extend the contract of 14 employees of the energy department’s consultancy cell. The CM asked the advocate general to amend the contract policy, stating that no extension in any contract would be made without the approval of the cabinet.

The appointment of Muhammad Afzal Khan Khokhar as chairman board of directors of the Punjab Model Bazaar Management Company was also approved.

The cabinet approved the setting up of a high-level committee on smog and the annual calendar for the first parliamentary year of the Punjab Assembly.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024