LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Monday granted approval to upgrade of the Institute of Child Health/Children’s Hospital to University of Child Health to overcome the challenges confronting the heath of mothers and children.
The cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar approved the proposed draft of the university and also to a proposal that the varsity would also have three schools under its umbrella – School of Postgraduate Nursing, School of Allied Medical Sciences and School of Paediatrics.
The university status for the institution will help it to collaborate with other international varsities to benefit from the latest expertise and bring qualitative improvement in the mother-child health.
The international collaborations will offer massive capacity-building opportunities to the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff of the varsity, besides extending its services across the province, particularly to the rural areas, where mother-child healthcare facilities are scarce.
Multan’s Emerson College also given university status
This was stated by Special Assistant to CM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan while briefing the media persons on the decisions taken in the Punjab cabinet’s 37th meeting, which was twice postponed -- on Oct 15 and then on Nov 3 -- when the cabinet was shuffled.
The cabinet also granted approval to upgrade of the Emerson College, Multan, to a university. The college being alma mater of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has around 7,000 students’ enrollment.
It approved change of names of government-run colleges, phasing out BA/BSc and MA/MSc programmes. The BA and MA programmes will be stopped from January 1, 2021 and no new admissions be entertained.
The degree colleges would be renamed as ‘associate degree colleges’ and ‘graduate colleges’, while the postgraduate colleges would be utilised for launching MPhil programmes.
The meeting approved re-enactment of the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Act, 2014 and amendments to the act.
The cabinet approved increase in the number of the District Arbitration Commission members from 23 to 27 and enhanced its jurisdiction to resolve overseas Pakistanis’ problems and dispense justice at warfooting.
The cabinet approved the amendment in section 14-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) as well as the draft of Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Rules, 2019 for registration of organisation managing accommodation under section 20-A. The decision to withdraw section 14-A of the CrPc was approved as well.
Amendment in Punjab Motor Vehicles Transaction Licences Rules, 2015 was also approved. The security fee to be charged from the unauthorised dealer with more than 10-year business experience would be equivalent to the authorised car dealer for registration. While unauthorised dealers with less than 10-year market experience would be charged double security fees compared to the authorised ones.
The meeting also decided to bring the localities outside rating areas along national, provincial highways and motorways under property tax net under Punjab Finance Act, 2019, in addition to agricultural properties.
The cabinet approved transfer of Auqaf department’s 28-kanal land in Sialkot to establish security towers to check the Indian army bombardment on innocent civilians across the LoC.
The meeting reviewed the Local Government Land Use Plan Rules, 2020 and directed to constitute a committee for a fresh review of land use plan rules.
The terms and conditions of contract appointment of Abdul Sattar as chairman/member Punjab Labour Appellate Tribunal-II Multan were approved.
The meeting endorsed the decisions of Sept 21 and Oct 6, 2020, cabinet meetings, 41st, 42nd and 43rd meetings of standing committees for finance and development and 33rd, 34th and 35th meetings of the standing committee for legislation.
Fatiha was also offered for the departed soul of the brother of Auqaf Minister Syedul Hassan Shah.
Ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and others attended the meeting.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2020