LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has introduced a modern branchless banking system to ensure transparent payments to daily wage workers in the Forest Department.
According to a statement by Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the CM has ended the 100-year-old manual payment system and launched a new, safe, and respectful way for paying hardworking labourers working in forests.
The statement said that now daily wage workers will receive their payments directly in their mobile banking accounts. Their identity will be verified through SMS and biometric systems.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that transparency is a key part of the chief minister’s mission, and this step by the Forest Department reflects that vision. She added that every government payment system will now focus on fairness and openness.
She said that issues like corruption, delays, and deductions in the old cash system are now a thing of the past.
The minister further said that all arrangements for the branchless banking system have been completed with the help of the Forest Department and the Bank of Punjab. This move is a major step toward good governance and financial transparency.
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She added that the new system will help restore workers’ trust and provide them with financial security. “We are giving priority to technology, transparency, and public welfare in every department, and the Forest Department has set a great example,” she said.
In other news, the Punjab government has taken a major step to control anti-social elements. The Home Department has prepared a draft of the “Punjab Control of Goonda Act 2025”.
Under this new law, those who are a threat to public peace and social welfare will be brought under legal action. The act provides a complete legal framework for identifying, monitoring, and stopping such elements.
According to the proposed act, a “goonda” is defined as someone who is regularly involved in disorder, criminal activities, or anti-social behaviour, and causes trouble for the public and peace in society.
