Free flour: Punjab govt to provide 20kg bags from 29th

LAHORE: Punjab Cabinet, which met with the caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi in the chair, accorded approval to provide 20kg free flour bag to all the families obtaining one flour bag at the same time and the decision will come into effective from 29th March.

While addressing the meeting, the CM directed the provincial ministers and Secretaries to continue visiting the flour centres regularly and submit their reports in the CM Office. Various proposals with regard to simplifying the registration process were reviewed.

A committee was constituted comprising provincial ministers and senior officials which will present its final recommendations regarding registration process.

Provision of free flour across Punjab was comprehensively reviewed during the meeting and the Punjab Cabinet expressed its complete satisfaction over the provision of flour process.

The Cabinet was informed that approximately more than seven million flour bags have been distributed among the deserving persons until now. The CM directed that bazaars and markets should also be checked in order to ensure availability of essential edibles at fixed rates.

Reports on mismanagement during supply of free flour worries CM

Approval was granted during the Cabinet meeting to recruit doctors and other allied staff on ad hoc basis in the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education department and Primary & Secondary Healthcare department.

Approval was also granted to extend the service period of the contract employees of Public Health Engineering department, along with Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal department.

Approval was granted to transfer the land of Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education department in Johar Town to the Special Education department to establish state-of-the-art ‘Autism Center’ for the special children.

Utter dissatisfaction was expressed over the performance of Child Protection Bureau during the Punjab Cabinet meeting and it was decided to reconstitute the institution.

The Cabinet was informed during the briefing that 1050 children are present in the Child Protection Bureau Centers while the number of staff members is 750 only.

It was directed during the meeting to look after the children present in the Child Protection Bureau Centers in an excellent manner.

The Cabinet granted approval of MoU between Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal department and Lahore Institute of Health Sciences. Approval was granted during the meeting to establish Cabinet Standing Committee for Universal Health Insurance.

Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Doctor Javed Akram will be the Head of the Committee while Provincial Minister for Industries SM Tanvir will be Co-Chairman of the Committee. Approval was granted during the meeting to appoint Chairpersons in the Drug Courts of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala.

Approval was granted during the meeting for the Government of Punjab accounts audit reports for the year 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. The decisions of the first 10 Cabinet meetings were also endorsed during the meeting.

Provincial Ministers, Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Secretaries of concerned departments attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023