PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed the concerned authorities to expedite the process of recruitment of lecturers through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (PSC) to overcome the shortage of teaching staff in the government colleges.

He said, if needed, a mechanism shall also be devised to appoint the teaching staff on temporary basis on reasonable remunerations to meet the purpose. He directed to open all the newly established government colleges as soon as possible. He issued these directives while chairing the provincial cabinet meeting held here at Civil Secretariat.

The meeting 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.

Mahmood Khan further directed that full funds should be released for the construction of roads and other ongoing development projects in the merged districts so as to complete these public welfare oriented schemes within the stipulated time.

He directed all the Government Departments to immediately implement the decision with regard to increasing the minimum monthly wages up to Rs26, 000 and warned that no leniency would be tolerated in this regard.

The cabinet approved the appointment of Syeda Rabia Sultana to fill the casual vacancy of Independent Director in Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) Abbottabad. Similarly, the cabinet also approved the name of Muhammad Rehan Yousaf for appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) Abbottabad.

The provincial cabinet granted approval to transfer 08 kanal and 10 marla state land situated at Kalaya District Orakzai, which is the property of the District Administration, in the name of Home and Tribal Affairs Department for the establishment of District Police Officer (DPO) office, CTD office and Special Branch office at Kalaya.

The cabinet accorded approval for availing Project Readiness Financing (PRF) loan for ADB-Assisted ADP scheme ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Resources Development Project’. Similarly, the cabinet also approved the transfer of 02 kanal state land located in C and W Colony at Tehsil Batkhela, District Malakand, owned by the C and W Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the name of Emergency Rescue Services (Rescue-1122) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for establishing Rescue-1122 station there.

The cabinet also approved in principle to hand over C and W Rest House Naran to Kaghan Development Authority and Shagai Rest House Saidu Sharif to Upper Swat Development Authority for office use with certain necessary conditions. Similarly, the cabinet accorded approval to amend the law to revise the tender rates in the face of changes in the ratio of Tobacco Recovery Cess.