KP regularises 630 project employees

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday approved the regularisation of another 630 project employees of the merged districts and took a number of other steps.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said this while briefing media persons about the decisions of the 66th meeting of the provincial cabinet, said a handout. The meeting was attended by cabinet members, chief secretary and relevant secretaries of departments. The special assistant said thousands of project employees had already been regularised earlier.

The government, he said, would take more relief measures for the masses in the upcoming days to reject, what he said, the propaganda by the opposition.

Muhammad Ali Saif said the cabinet approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Resolution of Commercial Dispute Bill 2021 to create a conducive environment for promoting investment and businesses as well as resolve commercial disputes. He said the commercial disputes were a heavy burden on civil courts and the litigation was taking years. There was a dire need for enacting laws, which was approved by the provincial cabinet today. Saif said the cabinet accorded approval to the KP Stamp Paper Rules 2021. For issuance and depositing fee for e-stamp paper, verification and cancellation of e-stamp paper the procedure for e-challan had been devised, he added. This step, he said, would not only facilitate the masses in obtaining stamp papers but also result in enhancing the revenue.

The cabinet approved the increase in the emoluments of the law officers including additional advocate generals, assistant advocate generals and advocate on record to bring their allowances on a par with the other provinces.

The allowances which have been enhanced included house rent, Supreme Court fee, medical and telephone facility, etc. The special assistant said the cabinet approved allowances equal to MP-II for Woman Ombudsperson in the province.

The cabinet granted approval to empower the deputy commissioners (DCs) as Justice of Peace in the merged districts. The DCs of merged districts will exercise certain powers of the police so as to ensure law and order.

The cabinet gave the go-ahead to the issuance of the no-objection certificate for Suki Kinari Hydropower Project to erect a tower, passing of transmission line and use of access road for construction of the tower in reserved forests.

Rs50 million grant each was okayed for the University of Peshawar and Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, for the best performance.

The cabinet approved the transfer of 10 kanal land to the Fisheries Department.

The establishment of the Overseas Pakistanis Commission in the province was endorsed and it was decided to improve it further for which a cabinet committee was constituted comprising finance, food and labour ministers.

The cabinet approved the development budget of 2021-2022 (Rs 25921.052 million) presented by the Provincial Highway Authority for the construction of highways, roads and bridges in the province including merged areas.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan welcomed the relief package announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan and said it had won the hearts of the masses as that would directly benefit the masses.