LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Thursday approved extension of the lease of state land in Cholistan and Rahim Yar Khan on previous rates to the UAE president.

The cabinet’s 39th meeting presided over by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was of the view that the initiative of extending lease would further strengthen ties between Pakistan and the UAE.

The meeting gave approval in principle of Rs5 billion loan to the Ravi Urban Development Authority for acquiring the land. It also approved state land for the master plan of the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project. The authority will present its business plan and financial model for the purpose.

LDA Vice Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Imran and Authority Chairman Rashid Aziz briefed the cabinet about the project. The cabinet simplified the process of issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) for installing petrol pumps in the province by reducing the issuance period from 90 days to 30 days.

The cabinet, under a three per cent special quota for visually impaired persons, approved a one-time special relaxation in the upper age limit in the employment of 54 people concerned.

The cabinet had taken up an agenda item to revise user charges in hospitals with regard to the decision taken in the 12th cabinet meeting held on June 14, 2019. The cabinet yet again rejected the proposal of getting charges in major hospitals.

Mr Buzdar said the PTI government came into power for providing relief to a common man and user charges could not be reconsidered right now.

The cabinet also gave approval for uniform syllabus throughout the province.

The meeting, in the light of a decision of the court and under Rule 17-A, gave approval to recruitment on a permanent basis. It also approved pay packages and terms and conditions for the vice chancellors of different medical universities of Punjab. Transfer policy 2020 of the Special Education Department was approved in the meeting. Under this policy, teachers and other staff will be posted near to their residences.

Seed money of Rs100 million from the Punjab government for the endowment fund of the National Tourism Coordination Board/Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation was approved in the meeting. Land User Plans Rules 2020 were also approved for using Punjab Local Governments’ lands. Payment issue of construction of 410-bed civil hospital in Bahawalpur was referred to the Cabinet Standing Committee for Finance and Development that will present the recommendations.

The matter of provision of land for setting up a Children’s Hospital in Gujranwala was also referred to the Board of Revenue. The cabinet meeting also approved appointment of two members -- Hassan Ahmed Riaz and Khalid Mahmood Chaudhry -- in the Lahore Development Authority Tribunal. Approval was granted to appoint in-service Judge Habibullah Amir for the post of judicial member for the Appellate Tribunal of the Punjab Revenue Authority.

The meeting ordered review of the matters of director-general of the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority. The departments concerned will again present their recommendations after reviewing the authority matters.

The meeting postponed the amendment to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad Act of 1973, section 21, and agenda with regard to the Higher Education Commission of Punjab. It also postponed appointment of the Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company CEO.

The chief minister and cabinet members welcomed new members Syed Yawar Bukhari and Khiyal Ahmed Kastro in the meeting.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2020