F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair Tuesday hinted at giving subsidy or cash amount to the poor people on purchase of items of daily use keeping in view the price-hike in the province.
An important announcement to this effect is expected next week, said Provincial Minister for Information, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai while addressing a press conference here to brief newsmen about decisions of the cabinet meeting. The Chief Minister has directed the provincial Finance and P&D Department to complete their homework within a week time in this regard.
The cabinet eulogized the services of Secretary Relief and PMRU team for chalking out an effective mechanism about price control in the province. The same mechanism would be strengthened and made effective with the passage of time, the info minister told media-men.
The Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has given a one month time to cabinet members to improve working of their departments otherwise they would lose support of the government.
Shaukat Yousafzai said that Chief Minister warned all the cabinet members to show progress and share their weekly schedule with the CM Secretariat. The Chief Minister and Chief Secretary would monitor prices of items of essential commodities on daily basis by getting feeds from the respective Deputy Commissioners.
During the cabinet meeting, wheat and flour issue was also discussed and cabinet was informed that the province has stock of the commodity till 30th April 2020.
The cabinet was informed that provincial government has purchased sufficient wheat from the PASSCO of which 250,000 tons wheat has reached the province while the remaining 200,000 tons was in the pipeline.
The CM directed the concerned authorities to ensure the remaining consignment reached the province at the earliest and also called for strict monitoring of the wheat being provided to the millers on subsidized rates.
The information minister informed that the prices of flour have been stabilized due to timely measures taken by the government of the province and announced that the people would hear good news about further relief in the provision of commodities of daily use during next week. The cabinet also hinted at giving monthly subsidy or cash amount to the poor people on items of daily use due to prevailing price-hike.
Activities against the hoarders have been tightened in the month of January and they would not escape from the writ of the government’s due to the tight monitoring system. The cabinet was briefed in detail about the price-control mechanism developed by the government for keeping a vigil on the prices of items of daily use.
The cabinet was informed that an effective mechanism has been evolved to have control on the rates of the daily use items under which the data was being collected from the government and independent sources about the prices of commodities on daily basis from the respective Deputy Commissioners.
The cabinet also reviewed the development program in depth of the first two quarters of the current financial year and the schemes initiated under the ADP during last five years. He said that Rs.420 billion have been spent on developmental schemes during the last five years as against the total allocations of Rs440billion.
In the meeting the departments were directed to start preparation for evolving developmental programs for the year 2020-21. The cabinet approved Rs.60 million grants in aid for KP Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BOIT) for operational expenditures.
The meeting approved amendments in KP Wildlife and Biodiversity Rules 2016 making the provincial minister for environment as member on the KP-Wildlife and Biodiversity Board.
The meeting also approved amendments in KP Rules of Business 1985 schedule-II which pertain to assigning new responsibilities to the Department of Information and Public Relations. The working of the Information and Public Relations Department has increased in wake of 18th amend.
The cabinet approves the names of Engr. Haq Nawaz and Engr. Bakht Zaman for members of Board of Director Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO). One of the members of PEDO Board had completed his tenure whereas the other had resigned from the post.
Responding to a query, Shaukat Yousafzai said that about nine MPAs have been issued showcase notices for violating party discipline. Two female legislators would be included in KP cabinet soon, he added.
The Chief Minister will meet MPAs from 4 to 6 p.m on daily bases to discuss issues of public interest with them.
