LAHORE: Punjab cabinet, which met here Tuesday with the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in the chair, accorded approval to handover Lahore Knowledge Park to Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA).

The land will be transferred to CBD to build Pakistan’s largest IT city. The cabinet ratified the approval of annual

budget and supplementary budget grant for the year 2023-24.

The CM said, “Pakistan’s first IT city is being built in Lahore.” She added, “Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have already shown their interests in the IT City.” She directed to complete both towers of IT City in one year.

She highlighted,” The world’s major educational institutions will be invited to build campuses in the Knowledge City.” She added, “There will be a Film City too.”

The cabinet also approved project for the supply of 20,000 petrol and electric bikes by the Bank of Punjab. Chief Minister said,” Electric bikes are essential to reduce environmental pollution but are currently not that much viable due to risk of battery theft and low mileage. Therefore, it has been decided to give petrol bikes along with electric bikes.” She added,” To reduce burden on students, the down payment will be reduced to Rs25,000 and the monthly instalment will also be less than Rs5,000.”

The CM said,” The distribution of bikes will start in May this year.” She added,” A separate scheme will be introduced to give bikes to students who have achieved significant success in examinations.”

On the direction of court, the cabinet approved the trial of founder PTI and Shah Mehmood Qureshi from Adiala Jail. The cabinet also gave in-principle approval for the extension of posting on deputation of CEO Punjab Transport Company. The cabinet approved the provincial representation of Punjab in the Council of Common Interest Secretariat. The approval for the transfer of Government of Punjab’s Grade 19 Vacancy in Council of Common Interests Secretariat Islamabad was also granted.

The Punjab Air Ambulance Project was also discussed in the meeting. The CM said,” All facilities are available for the rich and the influential people, but nothing to save life of a poor man.” She added,” We want to provide every facility of timely treatment to our people.”

She lamented,” It is unfortunate that Sargodha does not have adequate facilities for the treatment and transfer of heart attack patients.” She added, “Sitting in offices, it seems that air ambulance is not needed, but it is needed, because Rescue 1122 received 11 hundred calls for air ambulance in emergencies.”

The CM highlighted, “In Lahore PIC Emergency, heart attack patients arrived from distant areas within 8 hours. Therefore, Air Ambulance Project is very much needed, but it will be rolled out on trial basis in the first phase.”

The Chief Minister said, “We should feel pain for the poor. How sad it was that sanitary workers lost their lives in Faisalabad due to lack of safety kits.” The cabinet also gave in principle approval to reduce the number of law officers in Punjab to 66 after following strict performance-based criteria.

She said, “I have not recommended anyone.” She added, “Corruption, political affiliation and incompetence will not be tolerated in Government service.”

Provincial Ministers, Chief Secretary, IG Punjab Police, Secretaries and other senior officers concerned attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024