In a significant move to enforce accountability, the Punjab Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has directed all government departments to complete all pending inquiries against employees within a strict period of three months.
During the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Chief Minister emphasized a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, stating, “Not a single penny of corruption can be tolerated,” and stressed that the government is accountable for the use of public funds.
The meeting announced a new phase in the province’s technological development with the approval to establish Punjab’s second IT City in Rawalpindi, aimed at accelerating the “digital revolution.”
Focusing in parallel on human capital, the cabinet endorsed a plan to develop 2,300 youths into skilled professionals in the coming year. This initiative is supported by a broader effort to boost employment by easing the ban on recruitment in several key departments.
The government allowed recruitment for vacant positions in the Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Department, the Punjab Education, Curriculum, Training, and Assessment Authority, and the Punjab Financial Advisory Services. Approval was also given to fill 24 positions in the Structure Planning Unit of the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department.
The health sector received considerable attention, and the cabinet approved lifting the bans on temporary and ad-hoc recruitments in various medical institutions. This includes recruitment for clinical and non-clinical positions approved by the Boards of Governors of new medical institutions and for non-gazetted staff from Grade 5 to Grade 15.
To improve the education system, the cabinet approved the establishment of the province’s first autonomous examination authority. As a measure to motivate teachers, the allowance for head teachers was doubled, increasing it from five thousand to ten thousand rupees.
Major infrastructure and public safety projects were also approved. The cabinet approved the construction and expansion of the 46-kilometer-long Chichawatni-Kamalia-Pir Mahal-Shorkot road. Directives were issued to fill potholes on all roads in every city, install state-of-the-art traffic lights, and establish zebra crossings on every road to improve pedestrian safety.
Other decisions included the approval of the Chief Minister Punjab Livestock e-Credit Scheme and the establishment of a company to facilitate livestock exports. A policy to provide honorariums to mosque imams was also endorsed.
In terms of health infrastructure development, the meeting approved the establishment of the Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiology in Gujranwala and the conversion of the 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Murree into a general hospital. The purchase of necessary equipment for Holy Family Hospital, Faisalabad was also authorized.
The cabinet praised the Agriculture Minister and his team for achieving the wheat cultivation target ahead of schedule. Additionally, DG PHA Lahore Raja Mansoor and his staff were commended for their outstanding performance.