Lahore: The Punjab Cabinet has approved the allotment of 100,000 acres of land to landless farmers, alongside various initiatives including an e-bus service and a historic collective wedding program. As reported on October 9, this land will be leased for temporary cultivation over three and five years.
As per the shared details, the cabinet also approved a historical collective wedding program aimed at benefiting 3,000 girls from low-income households. As part of this initiative, each bride will receive a dowry of PKR 100,000 via an ATM card, along with 13 essential items, including furniture and dinner sets. The Chief Minister directed an expansion of the scope of this collective marriage program.
Additionally, the cabinet endorsed an e-bus service scheme, which will see the introduction of 27 buses in the first phase. To ensure efficiency, 1.2 MW solar panels will be installed in the e-bus parking lot for charging. By the end of the year, a total of 680 e-buses are expected to be operational across Punjab.
Chief Minister Sharif also instructed the development of an “Electric Taxi Service Plan” in Lahore and emphasised the need for stringent monitoring of flour and chicken prices throughout the province.
During the meeting, it was reported that 170,000 farmers in Punjab have received Kisan cards, with approximately 1.1 million applications submitted for these cards. The Green Tractor Scheme received about 1.2 million applications, and scrutiny for 700,000 of those applications has been completed.
The cabinet granted approval for the transfer of funds to the Housing Department for the construction of 839 houses under the New Pakistan Housing Scheme in Raiwind, Chiniot, and Sargodha. Furthermore, the annual repair of the Punjab government’s helicopter was authorized, and land transfer at Sheikhupura for oil storage purposes to Pakistan State Oil was also approved.
Other decisions included an agreement between the Board of Revenue (BoR) and the Bank of Punjab (BoP) for tax collection on property transfers through an e-stamping system, the nomination of the Minister of Agriculture to the Federal Seed Board, and the reappointment of the Board of Directors for the Punjab Health Initiatives Management Company.
The cabinet also approved a budget of PKR 1.7 billion for purchasing equipment and furniture to revamp tertiary care hospitals. Development projects in five major hospitals were included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
In addition, the cabinet approved the reconstitution of the Board of Commissioners of the Healthcare Commission, the transfer of shares from the Irrigation Department to the Punjab Power Development Company Limited, and the Legal Framework Draft of the Waqf Administration, Trust, and Cooperative Societies Act 2023.
Finally, the Punjab Forensic Act of 2007 was repealed and replaced with the Punjab Forensic Science Act of 2024. The cabinet approved the extension of the staff contract for the Management Information System of the Home Department, the nomination of a Presiding Officer for the Child Protection Court in Lahore, and the implementation of a sale deed for A-category property buyers. The Punjab Local Government Rules 2024 were also approved, with a decision made to establish a Joint Local Government Authority in each district. A high-level Ministerial Committee will be formed to amend the Prevention of Child Marriage Act of 1929.
