PESHAWAR: The provincial cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday approved a scheme worth Rs30 billion, meant to supply flour to the people at subsidized rates across the province.
Under this ‘public-welfare’ initiative, a 20kg bag of flour will be provided to the citizens at Rs980 while a 10 kg bag of flour will be provided at Rs490. The supply of subsidized flour to the people will be started from this month.
Briefing the media after the 72nd provincial cabinet meeting that was chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan here, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education, Kamran Bangash said the provincial cabinet had given approval to sell of a 20kg flour bag at Rs980 as subsidized rate. For this scheme, he said the provincial cabinet approved Rs30 billion.
The minister said a grant of Rs200 million has been approved for University of Chitral to pull it out from the present financial crunch situation.
The provincial cabinet approved Rs200 million as seed for the year 2022-23 for the establishment of a fund for the development, awareness and research of wildlife and national parks, the minister told the media.
The minister said the provincial cabinet has expressed grave concern over air quality reports generally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and particularly in Peshawar. He said a two member committee headed by two provincial ministers has been constituted to control over the environmental pollution.
The provincial cabinet was told that 4 lakh 360 trees dry up in Kalam and emphasized that it has been made to allocate Rs200 million for biodiversity of forests in the province, the minister said.
Bangash said the provincial cabinet approved regularization of 675 doctors which had worked during novel coronavirus pandemic situations in the province.
The cabinet also approved to make permanent 210 employees of the remaining 4 projects of Livestock Integrated Districts, while cabinet also approved creation of 34 IT cadre posts in Excise and Taxation Department, he added.
Similarly, he said the provincial cabinet had accorded approval of 296 employees of the CDLD project in Malakand to accommodate vacancies in the Local Government Department.
Furthermore, the minister informed that approval has been given to merge 33 Khasadars of South Waziristan and 77 Levies personnel of Lakki Marwat into the police force. He added that the KP cabinet approved Rs265 million additional funds for Greater Water Supply Schemes Mingora and Kohat.
The Minister said the provincial cabinet approved the appointment of District and Sessions Judge Asad Ali as Judge Anti-Terrorism Court Swat.
He informed the provincial cabinet decided to take up the matter with the concerned federal division for handing over Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Development Company to the province, saying that the project is expected to invest Rs7 billion annually in the province.
The provincial cabinet has approved Rs200 million as seed for setting up a fund for the development, awareness and research of wildlife and national parks for the year 2022-23.
The provincial cabinet voiced concern over abolishment of six seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from newly merged tribal districts and it has been decided to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan in this regard, the minister.
He said the KP cabinet also expressed grave anguish over reports of the alleged changing and alteration in voters list. He said the cabinet expressed apprehensions that the federal government is starting preparing for rigging upcoming general elections.
In this regard, Bangash said the instructions have been issued to the provincial law department and other lawyers for preparing themselves for making contact with the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022