Lahore, May 01, 2019 (PPI-OT): Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated the labor colony in Warburton area of Nankana Sahib District and distributed allotment letters of 208 flats among the industrial workers on Wednesday. He visited the colony to inspect the facilities provided there. He also inaugurated the launch of Sehat Insaf Card scheme in Nankana Sahib by distributing Sehat Insaf Cards. While addressing the ceremony, the Chief Minister said that 70-acre land has been allocated for the establishment of Baba Guru Nanak University in Nankana Sahib adding that this scheme will be included in the next financial year’s development program. Meanwhile, district jail, police lines, NADRA office, and a new land record center will also be set up in the district.
Labor colonies will be constructed in every district and allotment of 1189 flats of labor colonies of Lahore and Multan will be started soon. The second phase of Warburton’s labor flats will also be stared along with the construction of 50-bedded social security hospitals in Sargodha, DG Khan and Rahim Yar Khan Districts. He informed that minimum wages of untrained and trained workers are being fixed at Rs.16500 and Rs.17000 to Rs.19000, respectively.
Usman Buzdar said that change of governments had failed to improve the lives of the common man and those who built others’ houses yearned for a shelter of their own. In fact, the common man was badly ignored and he was deceived in the name of ‘roti, kapra aur makan.’ If laborers are kept deprived of their rights for the last 70 years then certainly some mistakes had been done in the past, he said. The common man is the pivot of PTI’s policies because it has come into power with the agenda of public welfare. Today, we have fulfilled the promise of providing 208 flats to the workers and 1397 flats are being allotted to the workers at the initial stage.
Many more labor colonies will be established in the province through Punjab Workers Welfare Board, he added. Moreover, social security hospitals will be made centers of excellence in phases and gynae ward of the social security hospital at Kot Lakhpat in Lahore will be upgraded. He said that MOU has been signed with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Cent to start a health management information system in social security hospitals. He announced that marriage grant will be increased from one lakh rupees to one lakh and fifty thousand rupees while the amount of death grant will be enhanced from five lakh rupees to six lakh rupees.
Instead of providing stationery items, uniform, and shoes, etc to the students enrolled in 65 schools, the parents of such students will be given money through smart cards, he added. The Chief Minister said that a comprehensive Punjab Labor Policy 2018 has been approved by the cabinet and necessary amendments are also being made in labor laws to facilitate the workers. Domestic servants have been acknowledged as labor workers in Punjab and Punjab Domestic Workers Law, 2019 has been enforced.
Similarly, Punjab Workplace Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2018 has also been launched to save the children from child labor and education and technical training will also be arranged for them. He said that the elimination of gender discrimination will be ensured in workers’ payments. The online registration of shops and industrial units etc will be possible through the web portal, he said. The pensioners will not have to visit the offices again and again because of the online payment system in Punjab.
He said that the insurance scheme is being introduced for the treatment of laborers after retirement and complaint cell will also be set up to facilitate laborers and workers. He said that around seven million families and 35 million people will be benefited from Sehat Insaf Card scheme in the whole of Punjab. The poorest people could be able to get the facility of quality treatment from good private hospitals and workers will also be provided Sehat Insaf Cards. He said that the PTI government will protect the rights of the workers and responsibility of public welfare will be fulfilled as a noble cause.
The laborers will not have to sleep on roads after the construction of shelter homes, he added. Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid said that 88 thousand Sehat Insaf Cards will be distributed in Nankana Sahib and retired laborers will also be provided these cards. Usman Buzdar is a poor-friendly human being who happily solves the problems. Federal Minister Ijaz Shah and Provincial Minister Ansar Majeed Niazi also spoke on the occasion. Provincial Minister Ajmal Cheema, Mian Khalid Mehmood, assembly members Mian Asif, Dawood Sulemani, Shakeel Shahid, Bilal Virk, Shahid Manzoor and a large number of PTI workers were also present on the occasion.
For more information, contact:
Directorate General Public Relations, Punjab (DGPR)
Government of the Punjab
21-Mahmood Gaznavi Road (Abbot Road), Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99201390-1-2
Fax: +92-42-99201371-2
E-mail: info@dgpr.punjab.gov.pk
Website: www.dgpr.punjab.gov.pk