'Devolution of power': Punjab cabinet approves draft of Local Government Act

Lahore: The 49 provincial cabinet meeting, which met here under the chair of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday, approved several laws along with consensus approval of the draft of Punjab Local Government Act 2021.

In-principle approval was granted to Immovable Public Property (Elimination of Encroachments) Ordinance 2021 which would allow the imposition of damages on land grabbers along with the elimination of encroachments on state lands.

The occupants involved in the occupation of state lands will have to pay damages on a daily basis. The meeting decided to hand over the issue of amendment in the land revenue act for deciding about new administrative units to the cabinet standing committee for legislation.

The meeting reversed the decision to increase commercial property tax to provide relief to the traders. Those who have deposited commercial property tax amounts would be adjusted in the next tax fees.

The cabinet also approved immediate recruitments on vacant posts of the school education department and directed the department to take further action in this regard. Formal approval of setting up six cement plants was also granted to provide jobs to thousands of people.

The meeting also approved the amendment in Provencal Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 for the registration of electric vehicles.

It directed to constitute a ministerial committee to decide about the agreement between the excise department and NRTC while giving in-principle approval of an agreement for installing radio frequency identification device (vehicles passport) in vehicles.

An approval was granted to give 85 million rupees payment to affected people of Sahiwal and Sialkot under Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Programme phase-I following a social safeguard policy.

The approval was also granted to bring improvement in financial management and procurement of irrigation department projects of more than 5 billion rupees value.

The draft of the agreement and allied matters were approved for handing over the control of the WAPDA managed lower portion of the Chashma Right Bank Canal to Punjab in the light of decisions of the council of common interest (CCI).

Under this, repair and maintenance of the lower portion of the Chashma Right Bank Canal would be the responsibility of the irrigation department Punjab.

A relief package was approved to redress the losses that occurred to rabi crops in 2020 due to torrential rains and hailstorms in Noorpur tehsil. It also approved rules and regulations for the post of COO PHEC.

The cabinet granted ex-post facto approval to police chowkis, circles and police stations set up during the last two years. An amendment in the schedule of inspectors and sub-inspectors was approved under Appointment and Conditions of Service Rules 2013 along with the approval of the amendment in service rules of special branch posts.

The establishment of Saakar police station of border military police in Koh-e-Suleman area of DG Khan was accorded as well.

The meeting adopted rules for the appointment of the chairman and CEO of Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority. Punjab Development Authorities Private Housing Schemes Rules 2021 were also approved under the Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976. LDA's rules would apply to all the development authorities in Punjab.

The cabinet approved the transfer of the Sargodha medical college and medical college Gujrat to the specialised healthcare and medical education department. Similarly, the recruitment against 1142 vacant educators' posts in DG Khan was allowed.

Revised rules for Ombudsperson Punjab Nabila Khan were also passed along with the endorsement of decisions made in the 48th cabinet meeting and 63rd meeting of the cabinet standing committee for finance and development.

Decisions made in the 70th to 74th meetings of the cabinet standing committee for legislation were endorsed as well.