PESHAWAR: The Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed the concerned authorities to initiate full-fledged anti-encroachments drive in the flood affected districts of the province and open all the blocked roads immediately to provide relief to the masses.
He issued these directives while chairing a meeting of the provincial cabinet held here, which besides the cabinet members, was also attended by the Provincial Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue and Administrative Secretaries of various Government Departments.
Provincial Minister for Labour and Culture, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai while briefing media persons about the decisions of the cabinet meeting at ITLA’A Cell informed that the cabinet also approved enhancing compensation for the heirs of those lost their lives in the natural disasters from Rs0.3 million to Rs0.8 million and the compensation for damaged houses from Rs0.1 million to Rs0.4 million.
The cabinet, he said, appreciated the services of the Districts Administration, Rescue-1122 and other public institutions for initiating quick relief activities during the floods. The Labour Minister further informed that the Chief Minister has directed for opening Rescue-1122 stations in the mines-rich districts throughout the province so as to ensure initiating prompt relief activities and safeguard the lives of the mine workers during emergencies.
He said the cabinet also approved the continuation of subsidy on Atta and the masses will now get the subsidized Atta throughout the year. The government, he said, is spending Rs35 billion as subsidy on Ata. Sufficient stock of Atta is available in the province at the current moment and more than 2 lac bags of Atta, weighing 10 and 20 Kg, is being provided to the masses on daily basis.
This quota, he said, will be enhanced up to 2.5 lacs daily by 15th of the current month. The provincial cabinet, he further said, also discussed the Admission Policy/Criteria for reserved seats in Medical/Dental colleges for Erstwhile FATA candidates in various institutes across the country as per direction of the Peshawar High Court, Peshawar and decided to maintain the status quo for the time being.
Shaukat Yousafzai further informed that the cabinet approved the extension of tenure of three members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission for the second consecutive term. These three members of the commission, who were earlier appointed in April 2019 for a period of three years, included Pir Fida Muhammad MPA, Ms Sumaira Shams MPA and Dr Abdul Ghafoor, an Aalam-e-Din and Imam Masjid Angoor Wali Qissa Khwani Peshawar.
The cabinet, he said, also approved an additional sum of Rs39.55 million for package one under the revised PC-I for the construction of 1320 flats at PHA Housing Scheme Jalozai District Noswhera under the Prime Minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing Program and Rs818.668 million for the overall project.
Shaukat Yousafzai further told that the cabinet also approved the allocation of Rs4300 million as non-ADP scheme for the designing and construction of irrigation channels of Mohmand Dam Hydro Power Project. A sum of Rs200 million, he said, will be provided during the current year.
The project on completion will irrigate around 16,000 Acres of land as well as generate 800 MW hydro power. He said the cabinet also approved the appointment of Secretary Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs as Chief Administrator Auqaf.
The Minister for Labour said the cabinet also accorded approval to the declaration and subsequent withdrawal of Fire Emergency declared in Tribal Sub-Division Drazinda, District D.I.Khan by the Deputy Commissioner under the National Disaster Management (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) (Amendment) Act, 2019.
The cabinet, he informed, also approved the declaration of flood emergency in Tank and DI Khan districts. The Chief Minister, he said, also directed the Deputy Commissioners to process cases for flood emergency if required to ensure prompt relief and rehabilitation activities.
The cabinet, he further said, also approved the provision of land for setting up Rescue-1122 stations at Tehsil Paharpur, District Dera Ismail Khan. He further informed that the cabinet also accorded approval to extend Water and Sanitation Services Company Abbottabad’s jurisdiction to 23 more village/neighborhood councils and approved the dissolution of the Board of Directors of WSSC Bannu.