PESHAWAR: A meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker cabinet was held at Civil Secretariat Peshawar presided by Chief Minister Syed Arshad Hussain Shah on Thursday. The cabinet members and administrative secretaries participated in the meeting and deliberated on different agenda items taking important decisions pertaining to public interest in the province. These decisions are related to health, energy, communication, adjudication, finance, emergencies, good governance and development matters.
The caretaker cabinet approved the provision of Rs.60 million for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority. The Authority aims to regulate, control and monitor all human organ transplantation and the various committees constituted under the KP Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority Act 2014. It was informed during the briefing to the cabinet that the authority recognizes medical institutions, hospitals and transplant surgeons/physicians for practice of operative surgery in transplantation, grafting of human organs, tissues and cells, inspects recognized medical institutions and hospitals for examination of quality of transplantation, follow up of medical care of donors and recipients. It investigates and holds inquiries into the allegations of breach of any provision of this Act in the prescribed manner. It also addresses religious cultural and ethical issues that may arise related to transplantation. It was told that the authority has recognized five medical institutions or hospitals for kidney transplantation six for corneal transplantation and one bone bank, while three medical institutions registration is in the process. The meeting was informed that more than 421 kidney transplants 450 corneal transplants 41 bone grafting have been performed through regulated procedures in recognized medical institutions of the Province.
The cabinet approved the reconstitution of the technical committee envisioned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Rest Houses and Tourism Properties (Development, Management and Regulation) Act 2020. Technically, the reconstitution was necessitated by the shuffling in the Provincial Cabinet and reinvigorating the tourism sector. It was also directed that Commissioners Malakand and Hazara Divisions be taken as co-opt members concerning the properties located in their respective jurisdictions.
The cabinet approved the amendment in special purpose Kumrat and Kalash Development Authority Rules 2020. Under Section 19 (2) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act 2019, the Special Purpose Kumrat Development Authority was established which was followed by the notification of special purpose Kumrat Developed Authority Rules 2020. This time the Director General Special Purpose Kumrat Developed Authority furnished Service Rules/Regulations for Employees of Special Purpose Authority and Building Regulations 2022 which were approved.Â
Similarly, the amendment was required in special purpose Kalash Valley Development Authority rules empowering it to make by-laws to carry out the purpose of the Rules so framed already. The authorities concerned were directed to ensure the facilitation and safety of the tourists and also the tourist attractions areas at Kohat-Parachinar and Bajaur-Barawal transit.
It also approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Deserving Artists Welfare Endowment Fund Rules 2022 for carrying out the purpose of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Deserving Artist Welfare Endowment Fund Act 2022.
The cabinet approved the transfer of 3 kanal 18 marla land in tehsil Kulachi district D.I.Khan to Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department for the establishment of Rescue-1122 station there. The Provincial Government had already decided to expand Rescue-1122 service to the entire Province in phase manner. The establishment of this station will facilitate the people of that backward area to easily manage emergencies and/or disasters.
The cabinet approved a supplementary grant amounting to rupees 609.119 million for payment of the decretal amount to the owners of the 209 kanal land acquired for the construction of Police Line-II, in District Mardan in compliance with the decision of the Supreme Court.Â
The cabinet approved the relaxation of the ban on transfer postings of the employees of the ex-CDLD in pursuance to Section 3 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Regularization of Services of Employees of District Governance and Community Development (CDLD)project 2022. Thus, the creation of 47 already created Supernumerary positions was also approved. It is worth mentioning that under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Regularization of services of District Government and Community Development Project 2022. The Government has regularized the services of 296 employees of the District Governance and Community Development Project under initial recruitment quota in the Directorate General Local Government and Rural Development and its field formation. Yet the number of posts under the initial recruitment quota was less than the required strength of regularized employees of CDLD therefore a need for 47 supplementary vacancies to adjust the remaining regularized employees.
The cabinet decided to take up the issue of payment of enhanced compensation of the 1480 kanal land, the defunct SDA (Now KP-EZDMC) has acquired for expansion of Nowshera Industrial Estate of which 185 acres had been transferred to PASDC (Pakistan Stone Development Company M/o Production and Industries) as per the decision of the Supreme Court. The land was acquired at a cost of Rs.47.329 million in 2007 but the Supreme Court had now increased it to Rs.1.6 billion plus 6% simple interest from the date of acquisition till the date of payment.
The cabinet approved the territorial jurisdictions of the public sector universities under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act 2012. The revival of the territorial jurisdiction of universities was necessitated by the problems faced by female colleges in the Province affiliated with Women Universities and determining the territorial jurisdiction of the newly established universities. The Higher Education Department defines the territorial jurisdiction of public sector universities from time to time after approval of the cabinet. As per the earlier notification dated December 28, 2021 the Department had defined jurisdiction of 29 public sector universities but a number of female colleges particularly those situated far away faced difficulties in correspondence and coordination with women universities coupled with increased financial burden on these colleges. The establishment of 3 more universities also necessitated the redefining of the territorial jurisdictions of public sector universities of the Province.
The cabinet approved the release of a Rs.40 million loan as bridge financing for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transmission and Grid System Company, Energy and Power Department. The company had asked for a grant of Rs.107.405 but the Finance Department had agreed to release Rs.40 Million loan as bridge Financing and enable the Company to deposit the loan amount in its designated account in the Bank of Khyber.
Addressing on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that work on Khushala Pakhtunkhwa has been completed and it will soon be practically launched to address the problem of unemployment among the youth. He emphasized the careful utilization of resources for the welfare of the public at large. The Chief Minister also directed that cleanliness being part of our religion, all concerned should ensure the maintenance of a clean and healthy environment in their areas of jurisdiction.
