‘First Cloud Policy’ approved: Punjab cabinet allows wheat allocations for KPK, Balochistan

LAHORE: The caretaker Punjab cabinet, which met with Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in the chair, endorsed the request to allocate wheat for KPK and Balochistan and the first Punjab Cloud Policy. The chief secretary will establish a cloud board, eliminating the need for future data centres.

The cabinet also approved release of funds for the provision of free textbooks for the educational year 2024-25, NOC for a new Chinese Consulate in the diplomatic enclave at CBD Punjab and allotment of lands for the SOS Children’s Village, children home, youth home and schools in Rahim Yar Khan.

The cabinet approved signing of MoU between the Pakistan Western Canada Trade Association (PWCTA) and the provincial government for sending young people to Canada for employment opportunities.

For the first time in Punjab, after the creation of Pakistan, enforcement of marriage and divorce laws for the Christian community and the Punjab Christian Marriage Rules, 2023 were consented by the cabinet.

The enforcement of the Dastak programme was agreed to provide services to people in their homes in Lahore along with expansion in an agreement between NADRA and the provincial home department. The meeting approved the inclusion of the biogas project in Gujjar Colony in the ADP 2023-24 and the release of funds for its implementation.

The 35th cabinet meeting also approved the largest package for the repair and maintenance of hospitals and additional funds were allocated for the upgradation and expansion of hospitals covering over 600,000 square feet, including the installation of state-of-the-art modular operation theatres and 15 thousand new beds. The CM directed ministers and secretaries to monitor the completion of hospital upgrade projects.

The cabinet approved the expansion of the CML project; endorsing MoU with Novartis for giving Afinitor and Jakavi medicines free of cost to cancer patients. Release of funds for the desilting of 231 canals was also approved as a major desilting and repair of embankments of 2200 canals was in progress after a gap of ten years. The first and second phases are scheduled to be completed by Feb 15 while the third phase will be started in March.

The cabinet also endorsed amendments in sections 21 and 22 of the Punjab Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1966, restricting the use of social media by government employees. Issuance of notification under Sections 7, 13 and 3 of the Punjab Animal Health Act, nominations for the Punjab Halal Development Agency & PAMCO’s BOD, and the inclusion of private members in the BOD of Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company were approved as well.

While nominating two technical board members for RUDA, the cabinet endorsed proposed amendments to the trilateral agreement between RUDA, BoR and the forest department. The cabinet also approved that Housing Minister Azfar Ali Nasir will be the chairman of all development authorities in the province.

The meeting approved setting up service areas from GT Road to Wahndo on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway and the transfer of land to the Punjab Ring Road Authority for collecting toll tax. The nomination of members and release of funds for the artist endowment fund was approved along with confirmation of the 14th and 15th meetings of the cabinet standing committee on finance and development and the 12th meeting of the cabinet standing committee on legislation and privatisation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024