Local Bodies not to be bulldozed: Punjab Information Minister

LAHORE, Sep 08 (APP):Punjab Information and Culture Minister Fayazul Hassan Chohan said the existing local body institutions would not be bulldozed and the new Local Government (LG) system would be implemented after the four-year term was over.
Responding to media during a press briefing on the Punjab Cabinet meeting here at the DGPR on Saturday, he said the new LG law would be announced by the Punjab chief minister after stamp of the provincial legislature, adding by then these municipal administration bodies would have completed
their tenure.
To a query, the information minister said chairman and vice chairman under the current LG institutions were sans financial and administrative powers, adding these institutions were being run on the old municipal administration (Baldia) model while the provincial government was in-charge.
“Under the new LG system, LG representatives will be fully empowered and redress people’s problems at their door-steps,” the minister responded.
About the forensic audit of Peshawar Metrobus Project, the minister said the Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan Metrobus projects had become white elephants for the economy, adding that the PML-N government of Shehbaz Sharif had unlawfully allowed a subsidy of 2 billion rupees monthly which caused a loss of 24 billion ruppes annualy to the economy. He said the Peshawar Metro was under-construction while no subsidy was being given to it.
To another question, Fayazul Hassan said corruption and malpractices of the Shehbaz Sharif government would be exposed within 100 days, adding the PML-N government had claimed
that the Quaid e Azam Solar project would produce 100 MW electricity while its actual capacity was 80 MW. He said the previous government’s rule was a litany of mismanagement, inefficiency and incompetence which criminally wasted the public money.
About merger of the health department, the minister said the previous regime of Shehbaz Sharif had destroyed the smooth functioning of the departments by dividing them into many in order to oblige more and more blue-eyed secretaries and people. He said a committee had been formed under Provincial
Health Minister Dr Yasin Rashid to merge the health department into one unit as was in the past.
About the use of luxurious vehicles, he said a committee had been formed comprising Ministers Raja Basharat and Ch Zaheeruddin to submit its recommendation of the issue of luxury cars retrieved from various provincial departments as part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s austerity drive.
Earleir, briefing the media on the second cabinet meeting decisions, the information minister said Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and the cabinet members would donate one month salary to the Prime Minister’s Dam Fund.
He said former IGP KPK Nasir Khan Durrani would head the Punjab Police Reforms commission. He added the commission would submit recommendations within 75 days for speedy reforms to de-politicise the police.
The minister said the cabinet had expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), adding a committee on Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE)
Reforms was formed to improve the performance of the ACE. He said the committee would comprise ministers for law and public prosecution.
Fayaz said different committees, including the Cabinet Standing Committee on Finance and Development, Cabinet Standing Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Committee on Resources Mobilisation, and a Steering Committee on the Implementation of 100-Day Programme headed by Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan were approved by the cabinet.
The information minister said the cabinet had decided to continue with the on-going projects of the previous government including Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) project, adding that a committee was formed consisting of provincial health and law ministers for recommendation on the making the institution more effective.
Fayazul Hassan said the cabinet was informed on the working group for the establishment of South Punjab province on administrative grounds, comprising Punajb Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar.