Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi presided over the 11th Provincial Cabinet meeting in which decision was taken for further smoothing the provision of free flour under the Ramadan Relief Package as the provincial Cabinet granted approval to obtain 20 kg flour bag for all the families obtaining one flour bag at the same time and the decision will come into effect from March 29.
CM Mohsin Naqvi while addressing the Cabinet meeting directed the Provincial Ministers and Secretaries to continue visiting the centers regularly and submit their reports to the CM Office. Various proposals with regard to simplifying the registration process were reviewed as a committee was constituted comprising provincial ministers and senior officials which will presents its final recommendations regarding registration process.
The provision of free flour across Punjab was comprehensively reviewed during the meeting and the Punjab Cabinet expressed its complete satisfaction over the provision of flour process. It was apprised to the Cabinet during the briefing that approximately more than 70 lac flour bags have been distributed among the deserving persons until now. CM Mohsin Naqvi directed that bazaars and markets should also be checked in order to ensure availability of essential edibles at fixed rates.
Mohsin Naqvi asserted that the whole administration should remain proactive in this regard. Approval was granted during the meeting to recruit doctors and other allied staff on ad hoc basis in the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education department and Primary & Secondary Healthcare department. Approval was also granted to extend the service period of the contract employees of Public Health Engineering department along with Social Welfare & Baitul Maal department. Approval was granted to transfer the land of Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education department in Johar Town to the Special Education department to establish state of the art Autism Center for the differently able children.
Dissatisfaction was expressed over the performance of Child Protection Bureau during the Punjab Cabinet meeting and it was decided to reconstitute the institution. The Cabinet was informed during the briefing that 1,050 children are present in the Child Protection Bureau Centers while the number of staff members is 750 only. It was directed during the meeting to look after the children present in the Child Protection Bureau Centers in an proper manner.
The Punjab Cabinet granted approval of MOU between Social Welfare & Baitul Maal department and Lahore Institute of Health Sciences. Approval was granted during the meeting to establish Cabinet Standing Committee for Universal Health Insurance. Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Doctor Javed Akram will be the Head of the Committee while Provincial Minister for Industries SM Tanvir will be Co-Chairman of the Committee. Approval was granted during the meeting to appoint Chairpersons in the Drug Courts of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala. Approval was granted during the meeting for the Government of Punjab accounts audit reports for the year 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
The decisions of the first 10 Cabinet meetings were also endorsed during the meeting. Provincial Ministers, Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Secretaries of concerned departments attended the meeting. Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi made a surprise visit of two centers for the provision of free flour in Sheikhupura on Saturday. The citizens heaped a pile of complaints in the Benazir Income Support Programme Centers with regard to the registration process. The citizens complained that the registration process is very sluggish in the Benazir Income Support Programme Centers.
CM Mohsin Naqvi assured the citizens to redress their complaints and stated that he would talk with the Federal government and with the officials of Benazir Income Support Programme in this regard. CM Mohsin also Naqvi reviewed provision of free flour arrangements at the centers. Mohsin Naqvi inspected the citizens registration as well as flour distribution process. CM Mohsin Naqvi directed to further improve flour distribution and other arrangements at the centers. Mohsin Naqvi asserted that the citizens should not face any sort of difficulty at the centers. CM Mohsin Naqvi himself got registration of CNICs of few men and women and got them flour bags as well.
Naqvi also checked the weight of flour bags. Mohsin Naqvi stated that a family obtaining one flour bag will be given 20kg flour bag at the same time from 29th of March at the centers. Mohsin Naqvi highlighted that the citizens will not only be provided relief but will also be saved from the inconvenience of visiting the centers time and again. Mohsin Naqvi apprised that a committee has been constituted to ease the registration process. CM Mohsin Naqvi took a prompt action on the complaints of citizens and issued directions to the staff members on the spot.
