The Punjab government, in a highly unwise move, has decided to raise fee of learner’s driving licence from Rs60 to Rs1,000. The raise in fee was approved during the 33rd meeting of the provincial cabinet held here on Tuesday, with caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in the chair. The fee will be applicable from Jan 1, 2024. The cabinet also decided to raise fee for LTV (light transport vehicle), HTV (heavy transport vehicle) and PSV (public service vehicle) licence, while the citizens of the US, Canada and other countries can apply online and will be charged $100 as license fee. The cabinet also approved the transfer policy for MBBS and BDS students in government medical and dental colleges. Under the revised policy, students will be able to transfer from high grade merit to low grade merit colleges. The Punjab cabinet has approved allotment of state land to landless farmers of Cholistan. It has been decided to give 344,000 acre to landless farmers - 12.5 acre each farmer. The land will be allotted at a nominal rate.

To provide better health facilities to prisoners, the provincial cabinet entrusted the management of prison hospitals to the Department of Primary and Secondary Health. The cabinet also approved funds to double the number of nursing students in Punjab and the establishment of a management committee for the Institute of Public Health, Lahore. The plan to renew the contract between the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department and the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Health Trust for the management and operation of Regional Blood Centres of Multan and Bahawalpur was also approved. The government also decided to upgrade the Children Hospital, Faisalabad, to the status of a medical institute under the Punjab Medical and Health Institutions Act 2003, while the Multan Institute of Kidney Diseases will be established as PKLI-2 for South Punjab. The caretaker provincial cabinet also approved setting up of a committee for the selection of vice chancellors of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences of Lahore and Bahawalpur. It also gave approval to the policy framework for deputation of prosecutors of the Public Prosecutor's Department to the FIA.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)