PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Friday approved the Ramazan-Eid financial assistance package for the poor, destitute, widows, orphans and transgender persons in the province, saying over one million deserving families will receive Rs10,000 cash handouts each.

The money will be distributed to the families through banks and digital payments platform Easypaisa before Ramazan15, with the government bearing the expenses, according to an official statement.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur chaired the cabinet meeting, which was attended by cabinet members, chief secretary, additional chief secretaries, senior member board of revenue, administrative secretaries and advocate general.

The cabinet directed authorities to dispense the February salaries and pensions in advance toall current and former government employees, as Ramazan is to begin on Feb 28 or March 1.

Funds also approved to pay salary to Education Foundation teachers

During the meeting, the provincial government approved allocation and release of Rs1.29 billion funds for paying nine-month salaries to 3,687 teachers of the Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation so that 181,233 students continue receiving education at 2,325 girls community schools across the province.

The chief minister ordered the provision of quality education to residents and said the number of beneficiaries of such schools should be increased.

He promised the provision of funds required for the purpose.

The cabinet allowed the creation of 458 nursing internship slots for one year with a total financial implication of Rs170.376 million. Rs31,000 per month for the graduates of the first batch of BS (nursing) programme 2020 was also approved.

The cabinet stressed the need for enhancing facilities for nursing education and to encourage the private sector for nursing education.

It approved Rs400 million worth of grant-in-aid for the Auqaf department for the fiscal year 2024-25 to ensure payment of the outstanding salaries and pensions and other operational expenses, according to the statement.

The cabinet allowed the utilisation of savings and interest earned on deposit of Rs332.563 million for salaries and routine operations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade subject to their regularisation by the finance department. It approved the enhanced cost of land for establishment of the Cadet College Project Phase-III from Rs298.481 million to Rs468.013 million to comply with a Supreme Court judgement.

The cabinet okayed the proposed amendments to Motor Vehicles Rules, 1969, authorising the secretary of the Regional Transport Authority for inspection of bus and truck stands.

It also approved draft amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa City/Tehsil Local Government (Rules of Business), 2022, and amendment to Section 25(1) of the Local Government Act, 2013, subject to vetting by the law department.

These amendments provide more powers and authority to the locally elected representatives, read the statement.

The cabinet granted approval to a proposed annual grant of Rs4.92 million for 15 orphan students enrolled in the Abbottabad Public School and College.

It also approved the reconstitution of the Board of Management of Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences and the renaming of Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium Shahi Bagh as the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2025