LAHORE: The 13th Punjab cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday, approved various public welfare projects, including Roshan Gharana Programme, under which solar home solution will be provided to protected consumers using up to 100 electricity units across Punjab.

The cabinet also approved model house for “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” project, under which Rs1.5m will be given to the beneficiaries for the construction of a five-marla house in urban and 10-marla house in rural areas. A project to run electric buses in Lahore was also approved, under which 27 buses will reach Pakistan by December, 2024.

The cabinet also gave nod to establish Punjab Grid Company for direct supply of electricity to industries. It considered provision of affordable electricity to Industrial Park through direct transmission line from Bhiki, Balloki and Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park.

Amendment to Registration Act 1908 for Revenue Services to Overseas Pakistanis in eight countries was also approved by the cabinet, that will allow provision of revenue services to Pakistanis residing in China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UK, USA, Italy, Qatar, Bahrain and Spain.

The cabinet also gave approval to the Punjab government’s advertisement policy, approving feasibility study of the glass train to be run for tourists between Rawalpindi and Murree. The train is said to be a first of its kind project in the country.

Meanwhile, the cabinet meeting was also attended by “tainted” Minister for Mines and Minerals Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, against whom the chief minister had announced issuing a show-cause notice on corruption allegations a few days ago.

Sources privy to the meeting say that Mr Gorchani was given a routine protocol and was rather seated close to the chief minister.

A video of Mr Gorchani had gone viral last week in which he was apparently assuring a contractor by phone that he would manage to manipulate the bidding process to secure the contract of a project (plots auction) for him.

CM Maryam, taking ‘swift’ notice of the video, had announced forming a five-member committee led by Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman to thoroughly investigate the matter and submit a report to her.

She had also ordered issuance of a show-cause notice to Gorchani to explain his position with regard to the corruption allegation within three days, reiterating her governments “firm stance” against corruption.

However, neither any probe committee was formed, nor a show-cause issued to the minister from Rajanpur who had served as deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly from 2013 to 2018 in Shehbaz Sharif government.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2024