Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has lifted the ban on ad-hoc appointments in the Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department and Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department.
A summary sent by both the departments has been approved by the CM, said a handout. This would remove the shortage of medical staff, as doctors, nurses and other staff would now be recruited on ad-hoc basis. The Punjab government has strongly protested against the federal government’s double standards for supplying wheat to other provinces while neglecting the needs of Punjab.
Also, Chief Minister Elahi has expressed his indignation at the behaviour of the federal government of not providing wheat to Punjab. He has formally protested against this discrimination and said that the Punjab government will send a protest letter to the federal government in this regard. He said that the federal government is extending stepmotherly treatment to Punjab by not providing wheat to it. Several lakh tons of wheat has been lost due to rains and floods in Punjab and the federal government has not provided wheat despite Punjab’s request, he regretted.
Meanwhile, Elahi approved setting the support price of wheat at Rs3,000 per maund and vowed that this increase will give the farmers full compensation for their hard work and the area under cultivation of wheat will also be increased next year. He also ordered measures to stop the smuggling of wheat and flour and said that strict monitoring of the exit routes of the province should be ensured. He noted that the prices of wheat and flour are low in Punjab compared to other provinces.
The food department, together with the DPOs and deputy commissioners of the respective districts, should tighten the checking system at the exits, he added. Indiscriminate action should be taken against the elements involved in the smuggling of wheat, he said. The Punjab government has also decided to constitute a cabinet standing committee for wheat under the chief minister. Separately, Elahi sought a report from CCPO Lahore about the rape of a 10-year-old differently-abled girl in the Basti Chirag Shah area of Lahore. He ordered the arrest of the perpetrator.
Also, the chief minister ordered exemplary punishment to the murderer of a girl in Sharifpura Lakhodair area. In a statement, he praised the efforts of the Lahore police for resolving the murder and said that CCPO Lahore and the investigation team worked hard to resolve the case scientifically. He said the Punjab government has also issued instructions for the prosecution of the case. He said the efforts of the Lahore police have resulted in resolving the murder case.
