Transfer of land: Punjab government abolishes condition of filing application for women heirs

The Punjab government is abolishing the condition of filing an application for transfer of land to heirs including women in rural areas. The step is aimed at removing injustices in division and transfer of property, especially to the women. The concerned revenue officers will be responsible for transferring land to the legal hairs, especially the women without any application after death of owner of the land.
This was stated by Secretary Planning and Development Board Punjab Arif Anwar Baloch at the concluding session of a two-day workshop on Gender Responsive budgeting here on Sunday.
Arif Baloch said that the government has also formed committees at district levels to control irregularities in transfers of land and to protect rights of owners and their heirs. The committee's recommendations to control irregularities in land transfers would be followed and the officials responsible for wrong doings would be taken to task. The committees will hold at least one meeting every month and play their role in purging the system of irregularities in this regard, he added.
Elaborating the steps taken by the government for women empowerment, he said Punjab has spent Rs 14.236 billion on the projects for women welfare during the current fiscal year. No provincial government in the past could present an example of such a huge spending.
Arif Baloch said that the spending would result in bringing changes in the society, especially in the lives of women. The government is working on a comprehensive plan for welfare of women and providing protection to their social, economical and legal rights, he added.
It has been made compulsory for all government institutions to give 33 percent representation to women in all committees and task forces etc. A quota of 33 percent has also been fixed for women in postings of members of Punjab Public Service Commission, he added.
Secretary, P&D said, "All of these steps are aimed at women empowerment and to provide them their due status in the society". He also highlighted efforts of the provincial government for setting up of day care centres for working women and setting up of women development fund.
Project manager SPRSM Zaman Wattoo, Chief Economist Punjab Capt Muhammad Yousaf(Retd), Senior official of Industrial Relations Institute Lahore Tahir Zaman and other officials also spoke on the occasion.
In his address Chief Economist Punjab Capt Muhammad Yousaf(Retd), said that the Government is focusing on uplifting health of the mother's and their children. In this connection, the government has decided to spend Rs 4.5 billion for upgrading the health sector "Mother and Child Health Care" during the current fiscal year 2012-13.
The Provincial government, focusing on challenges in future, is trying utmost to give an original status to the women in the society. For these purposes, United Nation Programme for Development in Punjab is providing assistance.
Capt Yousaf also said that an amount of Rs 0.5 billion has also been allocated for establishment of women development fund to uplift the women status, he concluded. At the end of the workshop, Secretary P&D along with chief economist distributed certificates amongst the all participants.