PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposed law for the regularisation of around 58,000 ad hoc schoolteachers hired in the province during the last five years.

The development comes following a sit-in by thousands of those teachers outside the Islamabad mansion of the chairman of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf and former prime minister, Imran Khan, on June 19.

Spokesman for the government Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif told reporters that the teachers to be regularised under the proposed KP Teachers (Appointment and Regularisation of Services) Act, 2022, had been appointed to the sanctioned BPS 12-16 posts in government schools since 2017 ‘on merit’.

He also said the cabinet, which met with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair, approved the addition of 38 new public services of six departments identified, refined and finalised by the Right to Services Commission after consultation with secretaries and different tiers of the departments.

Rules for riverbed mining also approved

According to him, the new public services include the issuance of fitness certificate to vehicles, pollution control certificates, issuance of route permit to commercial vehicles, repairs and maintenance of water supply lines of the tehsil municipal administrations, sanitation in designated areas of TMAs, streetlights, no objection certificate for the establishment of fruit markets, and award of scholarships. These services will be delivered by the relevant departments.

The spokesman said the chief minister also announced Rs1 million compensation for the family of a girl student, who was killed in a Dir wall collapse incident, and Rs100,000 compensation each for the injured. The school was named after the deceased.

The cabinet also approved the transfer of the government’s land measuring seven kanals and 16 marlas to the Domel tehsil municipal administration in Bannu district for putting up own offices, which currently function in a rented building.

The forum also approved the KP Mining of Minor Minerals from River Bed Rules, 2022, developed in light of the recommendations of a cabinet sub-committee.

According to Mr Saif, the rules will contribute towards regulating and protecting the natural course of rivers, allied infrastructure as well as promoting scientific mining activities in the riverbeds, where minor minerals like bajri, shingle, ordinary sand, gravel and ordinary stones were found and fulfil the demands of the construction industry.

The cabinet also approved the fine of Rs0.5-Rs1.5 million for illegal mining as well as one-time grant of Rs16.63 million for the ‘rehabilitation, fictionalisation and clearance’ of the Pesco liabilities of as many as 13 tubewells sunk by the Pak-PWD in Peshawar during the year 2017-18.

The Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) is taking over those tubewells from the Pak-PWD on the orders of the competent authority for operationalisation them in the public interest. The tubewells except one are non-operational due to various deficiencies, Mr Saif said.

He said the cabinet authorised the secretary of the forestry department to notify joint checkposts and wildlife checkposts at appropriate places for effective conservation, protection and management of the wildlife resources of the province.

In addition, it approved the establishment of Kabalgram as the waterfowl public game reserve in Shangla district, where the hunting of wild animals will not be allowed without special permit.

The spokesman said the cabinet also approved the establishment of an interim tribunal in light of the directions of the Peshawar High Court to dispose of mines-related cases, while the interment centre status for the Fiza Ghat facility in Swat district was also abolished in light of the improved law and order situation in the province.

The cabinet approved the transfer of required land to the elementary and secondary education department to upgrade the Government High School, Lilownai, Shangla, to the level of higher secondary level. It also approved the transfer of 20 kanals of land owned by the industries department to the higher education department for establishing the Government College of Commerce and Management Sciences, Takhtbai, Mardan.

During the meeting, the chief minister directed the relevant authorities to devise a mechanism for the provision of land for universities to ‘ensure the continuation of educational activities in smooth manner as well security of the agricultural land’, the spokesman said.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2022