LAHORE: The 28th meeting of the Punjab provincial cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, approved a 130-point agenda, including major decisions on workers’ welfare, education reforms, and investment facilitation.
The cabinet approved the allocation of 1,220 residential flats for industrial workers in Labor Complex Sundar, Kasur, and Labour Colony Taxila, through a draw. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz rejected the proposal to charge workers for the flats and ordered the construction of 3,000 additional housing units for laborers.
In a major move, the cabinet approved a uniform monthly wage of Rs. 40,000 for skilled, semi-skilled, and other workers across 102 categories.
For flood rescue personnel, the Chief Minister announced cash rewards of Rs. 50,000 each in recognition of their service.
Education reforms include the official reintroduction of Class 5 and 8 board exams and the permanent pension approval for widows of government employees.
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To promote prison reforms, the Chief Minister directed the establishment of industries inside jails, ensuring inmate laborers are paid wages.
To boost investment, Maryam Nawaz announced a historic facilitation policy, reducing required documents from 16 to 6, and enabling online NOCs for investors.
For worker safety, the cabinet approved comprehensive safety regulations for the first time and instructed the Labour Department to form an enforcement force. The 2024 Child Labour Restriction Rules were also approved.
The cabinet further decided on uniform appointment procedures for key university administrative positions and approved a minimum 80% score requirement for Vice Chancellor selection.
Punjab is also set to implement AI-based traffic management in 90 days and approved WASA’s expansion to five divisions. Nurses will now receive paid internships in public hospitals.
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In the agriculture sector, the Kisan Card scheme showed remarkable success, achieving a 99% recovery rate in Phase 1, with farmers using Rs. 47 billion worth of agricultural inputs.
The cabinet also approved new recruitment in several departments, including the Rescue Management Police, Walled City Authority, Punjab Charities Commission, and the Wildlife and Parks Department.
Furthermore, the cabinet approved Rs. 2.6 billion in flood relief funds for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). It also gave the green light for signing MoUs with international wildlife organizations and directed the regular monitoring and auditing of fake charities every four months.
