PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has directed authorities to convert one of the two helicopters of the provincial government into an air ambulance.

During a cabinet meeting in the federal capital, the CM said a case should be put up to him for the conversion of the Ml-17 helicopter into an air ambulance, while the other helicopter, the Ecureuil AS 350 83, would be used for official use, according to an official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Monday.

It added that the cabinet approved the “essential expenditure” of the government for the current month, directing all departments to finalise their budget proposals for the next financial year.

The expenditure approval was required as the budget for the current financial year was approved by the last caretaker cabinet at different intervals in the absence of the elected provincial assembly.

Cabinet asks all depts to finalise budget proposals

The cabinet approved amendments to the NWFP Ministers Salaries, Allowances and Privileges Act, 1975, as well as revisions of the terms and conditions of the appointment of advisers and special assistants to the chief minister. The amendments were carried out to “facilitate [the provision of] accommodation for the ministers due to the shortage of government residences and the unavailability of rented homes as per the rates fixed in the Act,” according to the statement.

Adviser to the chief minister on information and public relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said the cabinet decided that the ministers, who did not belong to Peshawar and had no official residence in the city, would be paid Rs200,000 each as house rent.

He said that keeping in view the “backwardness and security situation” of tribal districts, the cabinet approved Rs503 million each for the deputy commissioners of tribal districts for the next three years.

“The expenditure will go through the process of auditing, and nothing will be kept secret,” he said.

Mr Saif said Rs40 million would go to Bajaur district, Rs200 million to Khyber, Rs25 million to Kurram, Rs150 million to Mohmand, Rs40 million to North Waziristan, Rs19 million to Orakzai, Rs45 million to Upper South Waziristan and Rs15 million to Lower South Waziristan Lower.

Before the Fata-KP merger, the deputy commissioners of tribal districts [the then political agents] used to collect the “Agency Development Fund from the erstwhile tribal agencies” for people’s welfare. After the region’s merger with KP, the federal government discontinued the collection of that fund along with the permit amount and other taxes.

The cabinet approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Charitable Commission Employees Terms and Conditions of Service Rules, 2024. The charitable commission was established in 2019 under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Charities Act, 2019, to register, administer, and regulate charities, fund raising, appeal, and collection of charitable funds for charities through effective monitoring and accountability of promoters, collectors, and recipients, according to the statement.

“The rules will enable the provincial government to clear the backlog of the cases of charity organisations awaiting registration.”

Disagreeing to the recommendations of a Senate standing committee, the cabinet decided to go ahead with the already approved plan for Swat Motorway Phase II.

The Senate committee, in its meeting on May 16, 2023, suggested changes to the motorway’s design, but the cabinet insisted that the current design adhered to international standards and sound engineering principles.

It added that the Senate committee’s recommendations, which were not obligatory for the provincial government, might impede the project’s timely execution.

As proposed by the labour department, the cabinet approved the establishment of a labour court in Kohat district, the extension of the jurisdictions of the courts to tribal districts, and the establishment of camp offices for labour courts in Chitral, Buner, and Bannu districts.

It also approved the allotment of two kanals of state land, inside the tehsil building in Jamrud area of Khyber tribal district, to the federal government for building office-cum-accommodation on payment of market value in relaxation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regular Authority Amended Act No. V Clause 14’s Sub-Clause 1.

The cabinet also formed a ministerial committee to look into the grievances of the employees regularised under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Employees (Regularisation of Services) Act, 2018. The committee will review cases and make recommendations to the cabinet in compliance with the directions of the high court.

The cabinet, at the request of the registrar of the Peshawar High Court, approved Rs89.280 million to purchase 18 cars for 18 newly-created posts of senior civil judges in the family courts, as well as the grant of the monthly allowance of Rs300,000 to the director-general (aviation).

The administration department made the allowance request that “as per the agreement and service rules for the post of director general aviation, both serving and retired officers of BPS-20/21 of Pakistan Air Force could be posted as DG Aviation and the incumbent DG Aviation submitted a request that since he was being paid by the PAF and hence, an amount may be sanctioned to him in accordance with the said agreement.”

The cabinet relaxed the ban on the purchase of appliances for the administration department and allowed it to provide it with Rs18.808 million (Phase-I) to purchase handheld scanners and mobile phone detectors to check cheating in exams by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission.

It also allowed the handing over of a one kanal plot of the director general agriculture research centre to the Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority for constructing the PKHA Complex. The plot was annexed to the PKHA Complex on the GT Road in the Tarnab area. The agriculture department will get an adjacent plot in line with the cabinet’s decision, according to the official statement.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2024