Lahore — (Asif Iqbal) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired the 28th meeting of the provincial cabinet in Lahore, where a comprehensive 130-point agenda was reviewed and approved, marking one of the most reform-oriented sessions of her tenure.
Key decisions included:
Housing for Industrial Workers: Approval of 1,220 flats in Sundar, Kasur, and Taxila Labour Colonies through a balloting process. CM Maryam Nawaz rejected the proposal to recover costs from workers and ordered the construction of 3,000 more flats immediately.
Minimum Wage Reform: The cabinet approved a uniform monthly wage of Rs. 40,000 for skilled, semi-skilled, and other workers across 102 job categories.
Recognition and Relief: Rescue 1122 personnel serving during recent floods will be awarded Rs. 50,000 each. Their performance in flood relief operations was commended.
Education Sector Reform: Formal approval was given to conduct government-led assessments for grade 5 and exams for grade 8 students.
Social Welfare: Lifetime pensions for deceased government employees’ widows were approved.
Prison Reforms: Industrial units will be established in prisons, and working inmates will be paid for their labor. A third-party monitoring mechanism for prisons was also ordered.
Investment Facilitation: CM Maryam launched a historic online application system for setting up petrol pumps, reducing required documents from 16 to 6. Investors can now obtain NOCs digitally.
Worker Safety: Approval was granted for the Punjab Occupational Safety and Health Rules 2024, focusing on the safety of sewer and construction workers. The Labour Department was instructed to form an enforcement force.
Child Labour: The draft of the Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Rules 2024 was approved to curb child labor.
University Administration Reform: A unified appointment mechanism for treasurers, registrars, and controllers of examinations in public and private universities was approved.
Public Sector Appointments & Audits: The cabinet supported market-based hiring for vice-chancellors, setting a minimum qualifying threshold of 80%. Audit-based monitoring was ordered for departments across Punjab.
Technology-Driven Governance: AI-based traffic management systems will be implemented across Punjab in 90 days. Immediate rollout of axle-based road management systems was also approved.
WASA Expansion: Approval was granted to establish WASA in five divisions and 13 new cities.
Healthcare and Internship: Paid internships for nurses in public hospitals were approved.
Agricultural Support: Phase 1 of the Kisan Card project achieved a 99% recovery rate. Nearly Rs. 93 billion were disbursed to 690,000 farmers.
Local Manufacturing Boost: New tractor manufacturing plants will be established under the CM’s high-tech mechanization initiative.
Environmental Conservation: An MoU was signed with the Houbara International Foundation and other bodies for bird conservation and a regulatory framework was approved.
Flood Relief: PDMA was authorized to utilize Rs. 2.6 billion for flood victims.
Recruitments & Extensions: Multiple departments, including Walled City Authority, Punjab Charities Commission, Literacy Department, and Women Protection Center Multan, received approvals for new hires or contract extensions.
Legal & Regulatory Approvals: These included:
Punjab Energy Efficiency & Conservation Act 2025
Punjab Locum Recruitment Act 2025 for clinical and non-clinical posts
Sugarcane Research & Development Board Act 2025
Other Approvals:
Amendments in Punjab Drug Rules
Reconstitution of the Sports Board Punjab
Extension of NOC deadlines for cement plants
Telecom sector access to government land on lease
Bulletproof vehicles procurement for VIP security
Recruitment of specialists in quality control boards
Hiring under Punjab Financial Advisory Services
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz reiterated her commitment to transparent governance, worker safety, social equity, and digital transformation, stating, Every worker’s life is precious. We will ensure their protection at all costs.
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