PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet chaired by Chief Minister, Mahmood Khan Tuesday approved KP witness Protection Act 2021 to provide witness conducive environment in order to record their statements without any fear.
The cabinet meeting was attended by its members, Chief Secretary, IG Police, Additional Chief Secretary and administrative secretaries.
Briefing the journalists about decision taken in cabinet meeting, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information and Higher Education Kamran Bangash said that provincial cabinet has disposed 40 important agenda items.
He informed that cabinet also approved regularization of 2500 ex-servicemen till attaining age of superannuation. These servicemen are presently serving provincial police on contract basis and rendered valuable services against terrorism.
Cabinet also approved to provide 225 Kanal of land for establishment of University of Azakhel Nowshera with sports ground and inclusion of liver transplant in Sehat Card Scheme.
He informed that CM directed all the departments to ensure framing of rules under new acts of their respective departments within a week time and warned strict action against those who failed to comply.
Kamran Bangash added that CM had given clear directives to identify those government buildings of which are under-utilized so that they could be used for public welfare.
The cabinet also approved Panahgah Rules 2020 to ensure healthcare facilities, security, food and transportation etc for homeless people staying in Panahgah.
The cabinet approved Local Government Private Housing Schemes (Management and Regulation) Rules 2021 to provide a comprehensive legal framework for management, regularization of private housing schemes to ensure basic civic amenities and municipal service to the residents besides planned construction and efficient land utilization.
Kamran Bangash added that cabinet also discussed in detail the KP Land Use and Building Control Authority Act 2021 and constituted a cabinet committee comprising Minister Local Government, Minister Food, Minister Labour, Minister Agriculture and Advocate General to further deliberate proposed act and present the same in next meeting of cabinet for approval. The cabinet also approved amendments in Local Government Act 2013 with regard to upcoming Local Bodies Election and reiterated its commitment that provincial government is ready for the election.
Cabinet members also approved to handover administrative control of Food Safety and Halal Food Authority from Health department to Food Department. With regard to the provision of Rs. 500 million grant to pay pension of professors and employees of Agriculture University Peshawar, the cabinet directed Higher Education department and Finance department to find out a solution on permanent basis in consultation with Higher Education Commission.
Chief Minister directed that Higher Education department should also resolve similar issue of other public sector universities.
CM aide added that provincial cabinet approved Rs. 800 million as supplementary grant to Higher Education department for Pak-Austria Institute of Applied Sciences & Technology, Haripur.
The cabinet discussed in detail proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Artist Welfare Endowment Fund Act 2021 to extend financial support to deserving artists of the province and constituted a committee headed by Provincial Minister for Culture, Shaukat Yousafzai to further improve the act and present it in next meeting of the cabinet.
Moreover, the cabinet approved special conveyance allowance for Data Collection and Monitoring Assistants of Education Monitoring Authority with the condition that these allowances would be given purely on basis of performance.
Meeting also approved pension rules 2020 to strengthen pension system and evolve a mechanism to meet pension expenditure in future.
The cabinet also approved a supplementary grant of Rs. 213.344 millions for standardization of all THQs and DHQs.
Provincial cabinet also approved a grant of Rs. 1234.242 million for Procurement of Land for Bacha Khan Medical College. To ensure provision of clean drinking water in Rehman Abad, Shakardara in Southern district, the cabinet approved transfer of 3 acres forest land to Public Health Engineering department.
The cabinet also approved to notify 15 number of rivers in various districts of the province under River Protection Ordinance 2020 with an aim to ensure better management of water resources and to avoid encroachment along river Banks.
The cabinet approved Rs. 2 billion supplementary grant for ongoing projects of road infrastructure, water supply, health, tourism and sports etc.
KP cabinet also approved Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Employees Social Security Act 2021, extension of Employees Social Security Ordinance 1965 to district Malakand, Swat, Buner and merged districts. Similarly, the cabinet approved industrial Relation Rules 2021 and appointment of Justice Nasir Mehfooz as member Labour Appellate Tribunal.
The cabinet approved appointment of Ali Gul Faraz as MD Bank of Khyber subject to fulfilment of all needed formalities. Cabinet approved Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission Employees Service Rules 2020.
The cabinet also approved appointment of Chief Executive Officer for WSSC Bannu and Swat and appointment of nine private members of Board of Directors of WSSC Peshawar.