LAHORE: As part of austerity measures, members of the provincial cabinet, special assistants and parliamentary secretaries will donate two-month salaries to the prime minister’s austerity fund while members of the provincial assembly will voluntarily contribute 25 per cent of their salary and allowances for two months.
Government officers of grade 17 and above will also contribute two-day basic salary to the fund. The decision was taken in a Punjab cabinet meeting held under the chairpersonship of Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz through a full video-link session here on Monday. It was for the first time that all ministers and officials participated in the meeting online as part of the government’s austerity drive. The cabinet expressed gratitude for the successful completion of the Ramazan 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.
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-i-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 approved for 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 granted for recruitment in the Punjab Mass Transit Authority and appointments of the chief executive officer and company secretary of the Punjab Energy Holding Company Limited. Funds were approved for the 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 approved the establishment of an AI hub within the Provincial Intelligence and Financial Threat Assessment Centre (PIFTAC) along with recruitment for 137 posts. Among other decisions, the cabinet approved the establishment of a government associate college for women on the Ferozepur Road in Lahore, recruitment in special education institutions, and appointments of school teaching interns. It approved initiatives to enhance policing and security including installation of body cameras and panic buttons.
Addressing the meeting, Maryam said her focus remained solely on public welfare. She emphasised that any step contrary to public interest would not be acceptable. The cabinet approved multiple policy reforms, development schemes and institutional measures covering sectors including health, education, water supply, social protection, local government, infrastructure, environmental management, energy, policing and administrative governance aimed at strengthening service delivery and development across Punjab.
