PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Wednesday approved the launch of the Kissan Dost Programme for the provision of certified seeds and fertilisers to farmers in the province at subsidised rates.

An initial grant of Rs397 million was approved for the initiative during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan here.

The programme is also meant to increase the annual wheat production in the province from 1.1 million metric tons to 1.6 million metric tons, said an official statement.

The cabinet also decided about the import of an additional 300,000 metric tons of wheat through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan. This is over and above the earlier procurement or import of 150,000 tons of wheat and will help stabilise flour prices and ensure uninterrupted flour supply to the people at lower rates.

The participants also decided that the name of Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) would be written as Hazrat Muhammad Rasoolullah Khatamunabeyen Sallalaho Alaihy Wa Aalehy Wa Ashabehi Wassalam in all official and unofficial correspondence.

More wheat import also okayed to stabilise flour prices

The cabinet approved the establishment of the Kalash Development Authority, Kumrat Development Authority and Kalam Development Authority, and decided that 100 more camping pods would be set up at different tourist places to promote tourism.

An additional grant of Rs400 million was also okayed for the renovation and upgradation of Hayatabad Sport Complex for the holding of the next Pakistan Supper League matches in Peshawar.

The cabinet approved the proposed amendments to the Pedo Act to improve the energy development organisation’s performance and encourage the private sector to invest money in the power sector.

It decided about the digitalisation of mines and mineral sector to ensure transparency in the generation of mineral titles.

The cabinet also approved the proposal to keep the censor board of motion films under the control of the provincial government to ensure quality production truly depicting the local norms and culture by taking the federal government into confidence.

It increased the fine for delay in sugarcane crushing for sugar mills from the minimum Rs50,000 and maximum Rs500,000 per day to the minimum Rs500,000 to maximum 5,000,000 per day.

The meeting approved the draft Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minerals and Minor Minerals Temporary Permit Rules, 2020.

After a detailed discussion, the cabinet increased royalty rates for various minerals, including barytes, ballclay, baczytes, bentonite, china clay, marble and dolomite.

It approved the appointment of Raza Habib, a BPS-18 officer of the Railway Group, as the director general of the Galiyat Development Authority and that of Saliha Asif as a member of the Bank of Khyber’s board of directors.

The Rs1 million compensation was also okayed for the heirs of Naik Mohammad of Shangla district, who recently died in a coal mine rockslide in Darra Adamkhel area.

The chief minister directed all boards and authorities established under various departments to prepare brief on their performance for the consideration of the cabinet.

He said the performance of boards and authorities should be regularly monitored and no one would be spared for failing to deliver the goods.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2020