Punjab Cabinet Approves Second Major IT City in Rawalpindi, Vows Zero Tolerance for Corruption
*Lahore (Qudrat Daily):*
The 31st meeting of the Punjab Cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, during which a wide range of key decisions were taken focusing on transparency, education, technology, health, infrastructure development, youth empowerment, employment, and public facilitation.
One of the major decisions was the approval to establish Punjab’s second major IT City in Rawalpindi. The cabinet also set a target to train 2,300 young people as skilled professionals within one year. Approval was granted for the installation of modern traffic lights across the province, while directions were issued to ensure zebra crossings on all roads for pedestrian safety and to immediately repair potholes on city roads.
The cabinet decided to establish Punjab’s first autonomous examination authority to ensure transparency and quality in examinations. Allowance for head teachers in government schools was increased from Rs500 to Rs10,000. The cabinet also approved plans to corporatize the livestock sector with a goal to boost livestock exports. A cash reward of Rs100,000 was announced for traffic wardens who uphold traffic rules by preventing the use of illegal lights.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz stated that even a single penny of corruption would not be tolerated. She emphasized that the public exchequer is a trust of the people and cannot bear the burden of corruption, adding that all public funds would be accounted for before Allah Almighty.
The cabinet approved numerous development, health, education, legal, and administrative measures, including new hospitals, medical equipment purchases, road construction and expansion projects, establishment of special courts, amendments to several provincial laws, relaxation of recruitment bans in various departments, and inclusion of multiple projects in the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
Major approvals also included mass transit development projects in Faisalabad and Gujranwala, establishment of WASAs at all divisional headquarters, setting up new institutes and universities, financial support for minority welfare, autism schools, mosques and madaris, environmental protection initiatives, water testing and surveillance projects, housing schemes, and reforms in policing, narcotics control, labor courts, and local government regulations.
The cabinet also reviewed audit reports, NFC award monitoring reports, and ratified the proceedings of previous cabinet and standing committee meetings. Concluding the session, the Chief Minister appreciated the performance of various departments and officials for achieving targets in agriculture, sanitation, and public service delivery.
