Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Wednesday presided over the 9th meeting of provincial cabinet at his office and approved a number of steps to provide relief to the masses.
Principle approval was given to decrease the length of service from four years to three years for regularising the contractual employees and this decision would be equally implemented in all the departments in Punjab.
The meeting decided to give a colossal subsidy to the tune of billions of rupees under the Ramazan Package, 2019. The meeting decided that agri fair price shops would be set up in 309 Ramazan Bazaars to provide eatables on subsidised rates, while Rs 80 subsidy would be given on a 10kg flour bag that would be sold at Rs 290. Similarly, sugar would be sold at Rs 55 per kg, eggs at a discount of Rs 5 per dozen and chicken meat at a discount of Rs 10 per kg from the market, while Rs 15 to Rs 20 per kg decrease would be made in the prices of ghee and oil, respectively.
The Ramazan Bazaars would start in the last week of Shaban and 2,000 daster khawans would be set up during the holy month of Ramazan. The meeting decided to increase the number of price-control magistrates in the province, while a pricing application had also been prepared for the monitoring of prices.
It was also decided that Ramazan Bazaars would function as Eid Bazaars during the last 10 days of Ramazan to sell Eid-related items.
The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to ensure strict monitoring of steps taken under the Ramazan Package. He said ministers, advisers and secretaries would monitor the Ramazan Bazaars, and added that he would also inspect such bazaars. He also directed to initiate indiscriminate action against hoarders and profiteers, and made it clear that the administration should initiate stern action against those responsible for creating artificial price hike. “Jail is the best place for such elements,” he added. He said that effective measures should be taken to stabilise the sugar prices, and line departments should ensure it in collaboration with the sugar mills association. He said that the government would go to every extent to give substantial relief to the common man, and hoarding and price hike would not be allowed during Ramazan.
The meeting gave approval to granting technical allowance to the engineers of different provincial departments registered with the Pakistan Engineering Council. The meeting decided to increase the minimum wage of skilled/unskilled workers along with the approval of the Punjab Growth Strategy 2023. The annual audit and performance report for 2015-16 of the Punjab Judicial Academy was presented in the meeting, and the cabinet decided to table it before the Punjab Assembly. The meeting gave approval to an amendment to the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Rules 1984 to set up a registration authority. The meeting also gave approval to the draft of amendments to the Punjab Health Foundation Act, 2018. Under it, scope of the PHF would be increased and the chairman would be elected from the board members to make it a vibrant organisation. The meeting approved to set up a workers’ welfare fund in Punjab, along with approval of settlement agreement relating to Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology. The management and administrative plan of the Punjab government with regard to gaining the administrative control of some educational institutions and seminaries on the directives of the federal government was given approval. The decision of giving a 60-day remission to prisoners confined in provincial jails was also given approval. However, this decision would not apply to the prisoners sentenced under heinous crimes, espionage, activities against the state and terrorism.
The chief minister ordered early completion of a survey of areas affected by rains and hailstorms so as to compensate the farmers for the damages. He said more steps would be taken in the light of the survey report.
The accounts reports of the Auditor General of Pakistan about the Punjab government for the financial year 2016-17 were also presented in the meeting and the cabinet decided to table the same in the Punjab Assembly.
