Punjab Assembly in its session here on Friday passed the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2004 and the Punjab Social Services Board (Amendment) Bill 2004.
The House also dealt in detail questions pertaining to social welfare and Bait-ul-Maal department during its deliberations.
Provincial Minister for Social Welfare, Ashifa Riaz answering a question by legislator Ehsanullah Waqas pertaining to Punjab Hilal-e-Ahmer averred that that the Institution was offering services under Pakistan Red Crescent Society Act 1920 (Amended) 1974.
The Minister agreed with the mover that beggary had picked up in the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.
The Punjab Assembly has recently passed a law for improving lot of child beggars, she told the House. Punjab government in collaboration with District government was also in a process to build Darul Kifalla (Beggary Home) at Lahore and measures would also be taken in other cities for suppressing the menace, the Minister informed the House.
Answering a question about Bait-ul-Maal by MPA Chaudhry Javed Ahmed, Punjab Minister for Social Welfare disclosed that the department renders help to the welfare organisations, gives interest free loans to widows, unemployed persons and also offers educational scholarships.
Answering a query of MPA Zebun-Nisa Qureshi, the Social Welfare Minister told the House that a number of welfare organisations including 'Sanat Zaar', 'Dar-ul-Falah', Industrial Homes (PWP) etc were providing services in Multan.
In Sheikhupura, the Minister answering to a question by MPA Saghira Islam said, Bait-ul-Maal has distributed 888 cheques worth Rs 2,694,300 during financial year 2002-03.
Punjab Welfare Minister replying to a question by MPA Samina Naveed on Bait-ul-Maal averred that Rs 50 million were distributed through District Bait-ul-Maal committees amongst the needy in the Province.
Speaking on a point of order, MPA Muhammad Waqas objected that nearly half of the finances by Social Welfare Department were being spent on administrative expenses.
At this moment, Rai Ijaz Ahmed occupying the Chair gave a ruling that administrative expenses were also to be met. He however stated that Chief Minister would be requested for increasing the grant of Social Welfare Department.
On another question, the Minister said interest-free loans to skilled people for Small business by Bait-ul-Maal was currently suspended.
During the session a privilege motion, moved by MPA Mehr Ishtiaq regarding the late PML-N leader Pir Binyamin Rizvi, was disposed off.
On a point of order MPA Aftab Ahmed Khan, quoting a newspaper report, stated that notification for acquiring land from farmers for Bahria Town has been cancelled.
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has already announced that it has not approved the scheme, he added.
MPA Rana Sanaullah speaking on the occasion said that influential people under the garb of land acquisition were purchasing land forcefully at lower rates from the farmers. He asked the government to check illegal housing societies and their business.
Punjab Law Minister, Muhammad Basharat Raja assured the House that provincial government would fulfil its duties in the matter. The Chair asked the Minister to probe into the allegations and submit a report in the House within seven days. A number of adjournment motions by Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, Shaikh Tanvir Ahmad and Begum Rehana Jamil were disposed off during the session. Later on, the House was adjourned till 3:00 pm on September 13.
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