LAHORE: The Punjab Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Business (SCCLB) has given approval of declaration of wheat flour as an essential commodity in schedule of the Punjab Prevention of Speculation in Essential Commodities Act, 2021, expansion in the scope of Walled City Lahore Authority across Punjab and creation of three new centers in the Environment Protection Department, in collaboration with the World Bank.
The cabinet committee meeting was held at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Environmental Protection and Cooperatives Muhammad Basharat Raja. Provincial Law Minister Khurram Shehzad Virk, Minister of Communications and Works Ali Afzal Sahi also participated.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Lahore Metropolitan Corporation and the Saida municipality of Republic of Lebanon Municipality got also approval of the SCCLB.
Chairman Committee Muhammad Basharat Raja said the chief minister would determine the officer who would sign the proposed MoU on behalf of the Punjab government.
The cabinet committee considered the private bills related to the constitutional amendment on local governments in the National Assembly. In an amendment bill, it has been suggested that local government elections should be held 3 months before the end of the term of the local bodies. Provincial Minister Ali Afzal Sahi objected that such a proposal is not feasible. Another private constitutional amendment bill presented by some MNAs, has also proposed to keep the minimum suspension of local bodies for 60 days. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Environment Protection and Cooperatives Muhammad Basharat Raja said that the Punjab Cabinet would take the final decision on these private bills.
The SCCLB approved an amendment to an Act, after which the Pro Vice Chancellor of Pir Meher Ali Shah Arid University, like other universities, can be made a member of the syndicate.
In the meeting, the amendment to the Agriculture University Faisalabad Act was also approved. Mohammad Basharat Raja said that with the amendment, the University Grants Commission will be replaced by the Higher Education Commission.
The committee also approved the amendment to the Nawaz Sharif Agricultural University Multan Act 2013 and the agreement between the Food Department and the federal agency PASCO for imported wheat.
Describing the declaration of wheat flour as an essential commodity as important, the Chairman Committee said that earlier wheat was included in the list of essential commodities but flour was not included. Secretary Environment Protection Usman Ali Khan told the meeting that the World Bank is ready to support in setting up of three environmental centres namely Environmental Monitoring Centre, Environmental Policy Centre and Environmental Technology Centre to deal with environmental problems in Punjab.
