LAHORE: The Sub-Committee of Cabinet on Legislative Business (SCCLB) approved on Thursday the procedure for payment of relief grant to the flood victims in Punjab.
The cabinet committee, led by Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Environment Protection and Cooperatives Muhammad Basharat Raja, was briefed that the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) would transfer the amount to the Punjab Bank, which would be directly received by the affected families.
A complete database of affected families had been developed and they would be notified through an SMS. “The tradition of issuing government cheques and the requirement to open an account has been done away with. If the recipient wants, he or she can withdraw the money as needed or take it all at once. A debit card will also be issued in this regard,”
said the PDMA director general (DG).
Provincial Law Minister Khurram Shehzad Virk and Communications and Works Minister Ali Afzal Sahi also participated in the meeting.
The committee chairman said that funds should be provided to flood victims in a transparent manner. The cabinet committee also approved the appointment of Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid as the chairperson monitoring for Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA), and appointment of a member of the Punjab Environment Tribunal.
Basharat Raja directed the secretary Environment Protection to increase the number of environment tribunals and establish at least one tribunal in south Punjab as well.
The meeting okayed a notification to declare three hospitals of Sialkot as medical teaching institutes, approved the appointment of provincial finance secretary as director of the Punjab Bank.
The SCCLB approved the appointment of an arbitrator for settlement of the dispute between Excise Department and National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC).
Raja Basharat directed the Excise secretary to reduce delay in issuance of number-plates to vehicles.
The meeting approved the establishment of Sardar Fateh Khan Buzdar Institute of Cardiology in Dera Ghazi Khan while the urban area of Bahawalpur Development Authority was also determined.
