Monday, 9 November, 2020
04 NEWS
PUNjAb Set to iNCReASe fUNdiNg, PoweRS of LoCAL govtS: HASHiM LAHORE
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UNjAB Finance Makhdoom Hashim javan Bakht has said that resources will be distributed to district governments under a regular formula under the next Provincial Finance Commission (PFC). The minister expressed these views during a briefing on the Provincial Financial Awards in a meeting with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Muhammad jahanzeb Khan at the Finance Department. He was accompanied by Finance Secretary Abdullah Sumbal, Secretary Planning and Development Imran Sikandar and concerned officers of the Finance Department. Makhdoom Hashim javan Bakht said that the local government funds will be increased and the scope of powers will be expanded in order to improve the delivery of services at the local level.
PM recommends ‘Capitalism's Achilles Heel’ for reading ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday recommended reading a book on money laundering and its dire effects on countries. The book titled ‘Capitalism's Achilles Heel’ is authored by Raymond W Baker. According to the Prime Minister, "It is an eye-opening account of how white-collar criminals, businessmen and politicians illegally launder their dirty money and how it affects individuals, institutions and countries." The prime minister has long maintained that money laundering and corruption are the biggest contributors to the economic crises faced by Pakistan. The foremost priority of his government is to put a stop to the flight of illegally obtained capital from Pakistan to "tax havens" for laundering. In September this year, while addressing the United Nations International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI) panel, the prime minister called upon countries he termed "tax havens" to "adopt decisive actions" and return wealth looted from developed countries.
Additionally, the areas with natural resources will be given a share in royalties and profits. Similarly, recommendations from local governments will be given priority for development work under district-level projects in the districts. The minister instructed that alternative sources of investment will be introduced for the provision of civic amenities in backward areas. Accountability will also be ensured along with technical assistance to local agencies for the proper use of resources. The Provincial Finance Commission will set out procedures in accordance with the law to audit expenditure at the local level, he said. The provincial minister informed the deputy chairman Planning Commission that a 17-member Local Government Finance Commission has been notified. The government officials, opposition, local representatives and four technical members were included in it. Further, there are also plans to set up a specialised
secretariat for the Finance Commission. The Punjab government is introducing plans for poverty alleviation and provision of basic amenities for equitable development in the province along with enhancing the capacity of local governments. In this regard, the Human Capital Development Project is noteworthy. He said that hospitals and healthcare centres are being set up at district and tehsil level to reduce the mortality rate of pregnant women and newborns. He said that the local projects were undertaken at the district level to improve service delivery and administration. Further, the suggestions for the transfer of governments and the integration of local tax collectors into local governments are also being considered. To improve the socio-economic indicators in the province, data is being collected from the tehsil level for which various departments have been mobilised. Expressing satisfaction over the steps taken to provide resources to the district governments in Punjab, the
deputy chairman Planning Commission said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants the provision of services at the public level and positive response from the administration. To this end, the efficiency of the district governments is being improved. The provincial minister directed the secretary Planning & Development Board to make the Punjab Statistics Agency more functional and instruct it to provide the relevant statistics to all the departments.
Sugar being sold at USC outlets at Rs68 per kg, claims Hammad
Basharat vows to improve police force RAWALPINDI TLTP
Provincial Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja has said that the improvement of police force as well as welfare and establishment of law and order is the first priority of the government. He said that Punjab Police are giving better results in the most difficult times despite having less resources. He expressed these views while addressing a function to provide 30 vehicles to the Police Department at the Police Headquarters, Rawalpindi. Basharat said if the salary of the police was made equal to that of the Motorway Police, it could solve many problems. He said, "Police youth have sacrificed their precious lives for the protection of life and property of the citizens which are commendable. The process of improving the police is not limited to vehicles but the Punjab government is bringing more packages of better measures for the police.” He also said that new vehicles provided to Rawalpindi Police have trackers, anti-car lifting software, criminal record, high tech wireless system, video calling and tab and other facilities. Under the current government, Safe City projects will be ensured in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, he vowed. The provincial law minister said that unfortunately, the over one hundred-year-old law is still in force. “We are trying to harmonise the law with the present,” he added. He lamented that in the case of
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar has claimed that the government is providing sugar at reduced prices of Rs68 per kilogram at outlets of Utility Stores Corporation (USC). In a tweet on Sunday, the minister for industries and production said that the Punjab government is supplying imported sugar to various districts of the province, where sale of the commodity is continuing at Rs81-84 per kilogram. Earlier on Friday last, Hammad said that imported sugar will reduce the prices of the commodity by Rs15 to Rs20 per kilogram in the domestic market, adding that controlling inflation is the government’s prime priority. “Over one hundred tons of imported sugar has arrived at the Karachi Port,” he said. TLTP
LAMENTS COPS GET RS25 PER MURDER PROBE, USE 2G TECHNOLOGY
Another PML-N leader quits party over anti-institutions narrative
investigation of a murder, police officers are given an investigation bill of Rs25 only per file, whereas officers have to go to Lahore to submit the files. “We are ensuring that a centre for the collection of files is set up at the divisional level,” he further said. He maintained that locators provided to the police are currently using 2G technology while the world is currently using 5G technology. Speaking on the occasion, RPO Imran Ahmar said that with the efforts of the law minister, the police got allowances, adding the new recruitment process would solve the problem of shortage of personnel.
"Every police officer feels that we have our own representative in the cabinet because of your presence in the cabinet," he said. Basharat assured that the work of the CPO office would be completed soon. He later visited the Command and Control Centre where RPO Rawalpindi and CPO Rawalpindi gave a detailed briefing to the provincial law minister on command and control system. Members of Provincial Assembly Punjab Chaudhry Adnan, Major (r) Latasib Satti, Raja Saghir Ahmed and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.
LAHORE: Another leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has resigned from the party over the controversial statement of Ayaz Sadiq and the party’s narrative against the state institutions. According to details, Rozeena Alam has resigned from her basic party membership. In her statement, Rozeena said that she was hurt by the statement of party stalwart in the National Assembly (NA) against state institutions. After being dejected she is tendering her resignation from the PMLN, Rozeena Alam said. A day earlier, former Chief Minister of Balochistan Sardar Sanaullah Zehri and Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch announced to quit the PML-N and threw a challenge towards his former party to win even a single seat from the province without their support. Zehri recalled that he and Abdul Qadir Baloch were awarded PMLN tickets from Balochistan when nobody was ready to contest polls on their party symbol in 2018. TLTP
Technology being used under Rs30bn project to quell smog: Amin ISLAMABAD TLTP
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that tackling smog-forming pollutant sources is the most effective way to quell smog that causes serious health hazards during winter months. Talking to media persons here on Sunday, Aslam said that technology is being introduced across the country under the present government’s ambitious national project ‘Mechanised Management of Rice Crop Residue’ for which Rs30 billion are being spent for disbursement of the 50,000 units of the rice straw shredder and happy seeder technology to the farmers to stem the stubble burning, which is among the key causes of smog in winter. He said that burning of rice crop residue, dirty fuel in traditional brick kilns, solid waste burning, old urban transport system, and factories are the causative factors of smog. He informed the media that the around hundreds of the pairs of the rice straw shredder and happy
seeder technology are being provided to the farmers under a joint multi-billion rupees initiative launched jointly by the Agricultural Engineering Division (Lahore) of the Punjab Agriculture Department and the Federal Ministry of Climate Change. The PM’s aide said that efforts including curbing emissions from factories, closing brick kilns and fining polluting vehicles and farmers burning rice stubble in the winter would be needed for effectively controlling the smog problem. Referring to the recent introduction of the Rice Straw Shredder and Happy Seeder technology in Sheikhupura district on November 6, Aslam said the much-needed technology has been finally launched and being provided to the farmers, which would help them avoid burning of the paddy crop residue and instead convert the residue into organic fertilizer for boosting fertility of their farmlands. He hoped that provision of the new technology would prove a great milestone of successful environmental governance by the present government and help quell exacerbating challenge of the smog, which also
reflects the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government’s commitment towards taming the smog and protect public health and environment from the heinous pollution.” Quoting a study published in the journal of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, he said that the study findings show that cumulative exposure to air pollution impacts intelligence. Another latest study, published in the journal of Epidemiology, has also linked exposure to air pollution from burning fossil fuels to brain cancer, he highlighted. Aslam insisted that burning of the agriculture field is among the top contributors of the smog problem in the country’s various parts, most of which comes from neighbouring India. “Most of the smog issue in Pakistan is linked to widespread stubble burning in northern Indian states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh,” he remarked. The PM’s aide added that though burning of the crop residue materials in October and November months is also observed in the country's various parts, but as compared to blazing of the crop residue in the Indian districts its much less in Pakistan.
