By Qasim Ali
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired the cabinet meeting through a full video-link session for the first time, with ministers and officials participating online as part of the government’s austerity drive, here on Monday.During the meeting, the provincial cabinet expressed gratitude for the successful completion of the Ramadan Nigehban Programme and appreciated the efforts of the district administration, police, the Bank of Punjab and other relevant authorities for effectively implementing the relief package.
As part of austerity measures, members of the provincial cabinet, special assistants and parliamentary secretaries would donate two months’ salaries to the Prime Minister’s austerity fund, while members of the provincial assembly would voluntarily contribute 25 per cent of their salary and allowances for two months. Government officers of grade 17 and above would also contribute two days of their basic salary to the fund.
The cabinet approved a series of development initiatives across the province. These included provision of land for the establishment of the Mian Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology in Kasur, approval of the charter for the Quaid-e-Azam Institute of Sciences in Sargodha, and approval of a sports complex in Kundian. A state-of-the-art special education middle school building for children with special needs was also approved in Murree.The cabinet approved water distribution improvements and construction of the Chahan Dam project for Rawalpindi, along with a cyber security project scheme. Approval was also granted for recruitment in the Punjab Mass Transit Authority and for appointments of the chief executive officer and company secretary of the Punjab Energy Holding Company Limited.Funds were approved for construction of bus stop shelters for electric buses across Punjab. Recruitment of watch and guard staff and other personnel for women’s prisons in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad was also authorised. The cabinet also approved the establishment of an AI hub within the Provincial Intelligence and Financial Threat Assessment Centre (PIFTAC) along with recruitment for 137 posts.
