The Punjab cabinet has approved the establishment of three women universities, deferred the Net Café Regulations Act till next meeting, besides taking various important decisions and approval to the draft laws on Sunday. The cabinet meeting, headed by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, gave approval for the establishment of three universities for women in the province, setting up of knowledge city at Rakh Dera Chahal, Evacuee Trust Properties (Management and Disposal) Amendment Bill 2012 and policy aimed at plying CNG buses in large cities. The meeting also reviewed the Punjab Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority Act 2012 and decided that a cabinet committee would consider the recommendations for setting up regulatory authority and these recommendations would be widely publicised for obtaining public opinion. The meeting decided that recommendations with regards to setting up of the information technology university would be submitted in the next cabinet meeting, while the Net Café Regulations Act would be resubmitted after reviewing all of its aspects.
The chief minister said that an agreement regarding the establishment of an information technology university had also been made during his visit to Turkey. He also gave the approval to setup universities for women in Bahawalpur, Sialkot and Faisalabad. He directed that the universities be setup in those divisional headquarters where women universities did not exist. Shahbaz Sharif said that Rakh Dera Chahal would be utilised for promotion of educational activities where educational institutions of international standard would be set up.
The CM disclosed that 575 more CNG buses were being imported and besides Lahore, those buses would also be plied in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur. He directed CNG be provided for public transport uninterruptedly, adding that he would hold a meeting regarding it with the Petroleum federal minister soon. The chief minister constituted a cabinet committee, headed by the law minister, regarding amendment in Section 19 of the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 and added that the committee should submit its report after reviewing the amendment.
He directed to constitute a committee, headed by the chief secretary, for provision of facilities to special persons and amendment in the Punjab Social Services Board Ordinance 1970. The meeting decided that a cabinet committee, headed by the law minister, should review the proposed amendment in the draft of the Zakat & Ushr Act. The meeting also gave approval to the classification of ostrich as livestock/poultry, rather than wildlife.