LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Saturday approved provision of free 20kg flour bag to each poor family under the Ramadan relief package announced by the federal and provincial governments.
The decision was taken during the 11th meeting of the provincial cabinet held under the chair of Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi in Lahore. The meeting decided that under the Ramadan package, a family could procure 20kg free flour at the same time under the Ramadan relief package and the decision would be implemented from March 29.
The decision was taken in order to save the citizens from the trouble to go to the flour distribution centres again and again to obtain free flour. Now they could get 20kg sack at the same time. In the meeting, a detailed review of the provision of free flour throughout Punjab was taken. Chief Minister Naqvi asked all the provincial ministers and secretaries to continue their visits to the flour distribution centres and send their report to the CM office.
In the meeting, various proposals regarding simplification of the registration process were reviewed and a committee consisting of provincial ministers and senior officials was formed which will present its final recommendations regarding the registration.
The Punjab cabinet expressed its satisfaction on the process of providing flour. The meeting was briefed that so far more than seven million bags of flour were distributed to the deserving people. CM Naqvi also directed the officials to take measures for the provision of essential items at fixed rates, besides ordering them to visit bazars and markets to check quality and prices of the commodities.
The cabinet also approved the appointment of doctors and other staff in the Department of Specialized Health Care and Medical Education and the Department of Primary and Secondary Health Care on ad hoc basis. The meeting also gave approval to regularize services of contract employees of Public Health Engineering Department. The cabinet also gave its assent to give extension in the tenure of contractual employees of the Social Welfare Department and Baitul-Maal.
For the establishment of a state-of-the-art autism center for special children, the cabinet approved to transfer more than 26 kanal land in Johar Town of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department to the Special Education Department.
The cabinet expressed dissatisfaction on the performance of Child Protection Bureau and calling for its restructuring. The cabinet members were briefed that there were 1,050 children in the centers of Child Protection Bureau while these centres has staff of 750 people. The cabinet approved an MoU between the Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Department and the Lahore Institute of Health Sciences.
The meeting also gave approval for the establishment of Cabinet Standing Committee for Universal Health Insurance. Provincial Minister Specialized Health Care and Medical Education Dr Javed Akram will be the head of the committee while Provincial Minister of Industry SM Tanveer will be the chairman of the committee.
The cabinet approved appointments of chairpersons at drug courts in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala. The audit reports of the accounts of the Government of Punjab for the year 2020-21 and 2021-22 were also approved. The meeting also endorsed the decisions of the last 10 meetings of the Punjab Cabinet. Provincial ministers, chief secretary, inspector general of police and secretaries of the concerned departments attended the meeting.