Caretaker govt set to launch Khushal Program in KP

PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Arshad Hussain Shah has said his government would soon launch Khushal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Program under which steps will be taken to fix financial problems of people, create employment opportunities for youth and make public service system in line with public expectations.

He said short-term measures will be implemented immediately while long-term measures will be proposed to the incoming elected government. This will provide a road map for the incoming government to continue the public welfare initiatives.

He expressed these views while presiding over the 17th meeting of the caretaker cabinet on Monday. He appreciated efforts of the chief secretary and administrative secretaries in preparing the Khushal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa program.

He urged all concerned authorities to ensure the implementation of the program and to contribute to the welfare of the people of the province.

Mr Shah said that although we have little time we are laying the foundation of a good start and if the intention and spirit are good, we can do a lot in a short time.  With regard to the specific features of the program, he said that the improvement of law and order and the financial situation are at the top of the agenda of this program, apart from the emphasis on improving governance and public service delivery.

He said attention will be given to IT-based courses according to the demands of the international market to enable the youth to get employment abroad so that they can make their place in the international market and create employment opportunities for themselves. He said that under this program, up to five lakh youth will be sent abroad for employment in the next year.

The provincial cabinet approved a non-AD de-worming initiative for school-age children with a cost of Rs218.7 million during the financial year 2023–24. It was also directed that in the future whenever such a program is made with the help of aid agencies it should also estimate the future burden on the provincial government.

The provincial cabinet approved the appointment of Mr. Esanullah (PCS-EG-BS-20) to fill the vacant post of Managing Director of the Forest Development Corporation. However, the issuance of the notification in this regard will be subject to the NOC of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The cabinet approved the transfer of four kanals of government land to the judiciary for the construction of a judicial complex in Tehsil Shringal, District Dir Upper, with the condition that along with this, revenue courts will also be constructed so that the people can have facilities in one place.

The cabinet also approved to return 1000 kanals of land acquired for Bacha Khan Medical College Mardan to its owners. This land was acquired in 2009 for proposed expansion of Bacha Khan Medical College, but as a result of various lawsuits, the value of this land had increased.

The provincial cabinet, in its meeting, approved the creation of 158 stipendiary slots for FCPS Part II Trainee Medical Officers for FY 2023–24 at a cost of Rs. 178 million. It may be noted that, due to the non-availability of the said posts, these TMOs could not do their specialization. The Provincial Cabinet approved the reconstitution of the Road Transport Board under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 for three years. The cabinet also directed that the Transport Department may co-pt another member from the private sector to the said board.

On this occasion, the chief minister directed that the Department of Education should also review the method and possibilities of distributing soft books to the students so that, if possible, books can be provided to the students at a minimum cost. The cabinet approved the payment of the arrears of schoolteachers of Police Public School, and the cabinet, removing the ambiguity of the earlier decision, declared that, in light of the recommendations of the said committee, the dues of the teachers and staff would be paid soon.

It should be noted that this issue involving the above-mentioned employees has been pending in various courts, including the Supreme Court, for the last 25 years. The cabinet also approved the funds required for the payment of the ten-month salaries of the teachers of Governor Model Schools in the merged districts. In the context of the above two decisions, the cabinet directed that the release of the minutes of the cabinet should not be waited for and that the dues should be paid to the teachers as soon as possible.