Chitral Times Report
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government is set to hold Local Bodies Elections in September this year as decided in the previous cabinet meeting and work out modalities in active collaboration with Election Commission of Pakistan for delimitation etc. Provincial government is also framing/updating rules to fully empower local government tier to ensure devolution of powers to the local governments in its true spirit thus to empower the masses at grassroots level. The cabinet has tasked Minister for Local Government, Akbar Ayub Khan to have close coordination with Election Commission of Pakistan for finalization of pre-requisites for the smooth holding of local bodies elections in the province.
This was stated by Special Assistant to Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information & Higher Education Kamran Bangash in a post-cabinet media briefing. Flanked by cabinet members, Akbar Ayub Khan and Abdul Karim Khan, Kamran Bangash said that PTI’s Nazimeens and councilors elected in the previous local bodies elections delivered well and served the masses, that is why, the masses empowered the present government with two-third majority in the province. “Our government is committed to decentralize power with the sole aim to serve the masses at their door-step”, he added.
Provincial cabinet met here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan. The meeting was attended by the cabinet members, Advisors, Special Assistants, Chief Secretary, Addl: Chief Secretary, SMBR and Administrative Secretaries.
While Briefing the media, Kamran Bangash said that the provincial cabinet felicitated the citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on extension of Sehat Card Plus to the whole population terming it a major and revolutionary step towards welfare-state.
Provincial cabinet was informed that there is no scarcity of wheat and sugar in the province and the cabinet decided to use all available options, to ensure smooth provision of wheat and sugar, including import and domestic procurement.
Kamran Bangash further informed that the chief minister has taken strong notice of complaints against private testing agencies and constituted a committee comprising cabinet members; Shahram Khan Tarakai, Mian Khaliq-ur-Rahman, Kamran Bangash, Taimur Jhangra, Wazir Zada and Riaz Khan. The committee will submit its report within two weeks. The committee besides recommending regulatory mechanism for private testing agencies will also submit proposals for strengthening ETEA and KP Public Service Commission.
The cabinet also constituted a cabinet committee headed by Minister Finance to look into newly framed retirement age which will also submit its report within two weeks. The issue of retirement age of government employees in the aftermath of Supreme Court decision. The committee will submit its recommendations on the issue to the cabinet within two week time. The cabinet also constituted a committee headed by Finance Minister to look into the issues surfaced due to the increase in age limit of retirement for government employees and to submit its report to the cabinet within two weeks time.
