20th Meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet
Peshawar: Fully satisfied from the implementation of its previous decisions, the Provincial Cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today approved a large number of projects and schemes for the welfare, uplift and security of the general public. These schemes and projects included the enhancement of scope and costs of both the current Annual Development Program (ADP) and also the approval of a number of non-ADP schemes.
The meeting of the Cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Khan Gandapur. The meeting was participated by Ministers, Advisors, Special Assistants, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, all relevant Administrative Secretaries. The meeting was informed that 518 major decisions had been taken in 19 meetings of the present Provincial Cabinet of which work over 486 (i.e. 95 per cent) has already been completed while work on seven such decisions is on target and just nine (i.e 2 per cent) are overdue. The cabinet has approved the enactment of 50 legislations also.
After threadbare and daylong discussions, the Provincial Cabinet approved implementation of Anti-Money Laundering Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Regime in the Province. Under this regime, public entities and reporting entities dealing in real estate agents register as Designated Non-Financial Business and Professions (DNFBPs) under the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The public entities include Government agencies involved in property development/transfer, local authorities managing public lands via auction etc. As per FBR reporting entity includes Revenue Officers involved in land transfer such as Tehsildars, Sub-Registrars and Naib Tehsildars. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) considers DNFBPs may be used as a potential tool for channeling and parking of proceeds of crime. All these sectors have remained by and large undocumented and un-regulated in the perspective of money laundering and terror financing and were identified as high risk and medium risk vulnerable for money laundering and terror financing under National Risk Assessment (NRA 2023).
The Cabinet approved re-inclusion of four AIP schemes of the Energy and Power sector as non-ADP schemes in the Provincial ADP 2024-25. The schemes are related to construction of Grid stations in South Waziristan, Tirah Maidan Khyber, Mamund Bajaur.
The Cabinet also approved the enhanced cost for establishment of Trauma Center in District Hospital Lakki Marwat to 698.046 million; and the Up-gradation of Talash Hospital, Dir Lower from Category D to C. It also approved one-time Rs. 20.00 million grant-in-aid to mission hospital (Dabgari Gardens) Peshawar. This is to be incurred on free of cost treatment of poor patients, staff salaries and other hospital expenses.
The Cabinet approved the enhanced costs of the ADP Scheme Standardization and Up-gradation of Sports compels playground and Sports facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It also approved cost enhancement amounting to Rs. 583.349 million for scheme Standardization and Up-gradation of Sports Complex District D.I.Khan; and Special Grant of Rs. 355.500 million @ of 0.5 million to each for Sports Activities in 711 Village/Neighborhood Councils of Merged Districts.
The Cabinet approved signing of the grant agreement for the German Funded (KFW) Billion Tree Afforestation Support Project. This agreement is being signed for BTASP phase II. The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW has provided a grant of 13.5 million Euros for execution of the Billion Tree Afforestation Support project (Phase-I) to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the year 2022, the BMZ has committed additional funds worth 20 million Euros as grant to BTASP-II to further support protection of forest in the Province. It constituted a high level committee with the Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human rights, being its chairman for drafting policy recommendations on exempting stage carriage (passenger vehicles) of Rules 57-B(1), Motor Vehicles Rules 1969.
The Cabinet approved transfer of possession of 37 Kanals & 7 Marlas in D.I.Khan district from Agriculture Department to Sports Department and the upgradation of Cat-B Hospital MTI, Mufti Mehmood Memorial Teaching Hospital, D.I.Khan from Category B to A. This will enhance the bed strength of the hospital from 200 beds to 500 beds; and the upgradation of MTI, DHQ Teaching Hospital D.I.Khan from category B to A. This will enhance the bed strength from 242 beds to 600 beds.
It also approved the transfer of ownership of Government Land From Agriculture Department to Elementary & Secondary Education Department for Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education D.I.Khan; the transfer of 300 Kanal land from Agriculture Department to Elementary & Secondary Education Department for Girls Cadet College D.I.Khan; enhanced compensation to the 146 victims of land mines and terrorism incidents; and the release of funds amounting to Rs. 118.50 million for operational expenditure of TDPs camp Bakakhel, Bannu. The Chief Minister also directed on this occasion that henceforth all such victims will be provided artificial limbs by the Provincial Government free of costs.
The Cabinet approved recommendations of the implementation report of the High-level technical committee for analysis of lab test results for disposal of PASSCO imported wheat. The aflatoxin levels in all the tested samples collected by the committee are found safe and below the established permissible limits for processed wheat products. The technical committee had recommended for immediate release of the 77,762 MT wheat to flour mills on the basis of First in First out principle and liberal release policy and thus the said release.
The Cabinet sanctioned Rs. 54.63 million grant for the Provincial Public Health Reference Laboratory Khyber Medical University Peshawar under Section-15 of PFM Act 2022; and Financial Assistance of Rs. 2.80 million for Mr. Anwar Zeb, a resident of Charsadda for treatment of kidney disease i.e Kidney Transplant. It also approved the retention of Village Council Haryankot with Tehsil Dargai District Malakand. Earlier this was linked with Tehsil Uthmankhel of the same District; and the transfer of 14 Marlas land at District Peshawar to Administration Department for construction of building for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Services Tribunal.
The Cabinet approved amendment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Initial appointment to civil posts (relaxation of upper age limit) Rules, 2008 for banning age relaxation for police posts. Relaxation in Upper Age Limit Rules, 2008, shall be amended to expressly and explicitly ban age relaxation in case of Provincial Police on the analogy of Provincial Management Service. It was emphasized by the Cabinet that henceforth no age relaxation whatsoever will be allowed for recruitment to police force in the province.
The Cabinet accorded approval of Non-ADP Schemes namely “Beautification & Landscaping of Bannu Road from GPO to Babe-Dera D.I.Khan”at a cost of amounting to Rs. 20.440 million; and the enforcement of Building Control Function of the PDA on Detour Road from Ring Road till District Revenue Limits (1.725 KM). This is aimed at preventing any haphazard growth, encroachments, unplanned and unauthorized construction on Detour Road.
On the recommendations of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) amending its previous decision held on 3rd June 2024 the cabinet directed to establish at least two graveyards in the vicinity of Peshawar on urgent basis. The Chief Minister stressed provision of such graveyards on urgent basis with boundary walls around it. Previously it had decided that a graveyard would be established in Moza Darmangi, Tehsil Shah Alam, Peshawar.
The Cabinet approved transfer of Government Technical Institute (GTI) Shalman from Administrative Control of ST&IT Department to Elementary Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the establishment of a model school with all modern facilities from call KG to higher secondary level. The Cabinet approved a Non-ADP for “Land Acquisition/House Compensation of the Project Raising Baran Dam Bannu” with a cost of Rs. 763.73 million.
The Cabinet approved appointment of two members for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board.
The Cabinet accorded approval for inclusion of a scheme in ADP 2024-25 namely ‘Development Package for Upper Swat Development Authority’ at a total cost of Rs. 1910.185 million.
The Cabinet called for taking up the proposed amendment by the Federal Government to IRSA Act 1992 to the Council of Common Interests.
The Cabinet also approved the creation of eight officers’ posts for the security of Kurram Road under the District Police Officer (DPO).
The Cabinet approved the draft subsidiary agreement for the joint Project for strengthening resilience to climate change in districts Buner and Shangla. The Chief Minister in this regard directed the concerned authorities to bring all the vacant lands of the Province under forest and also provide sustenance in provision of water on sharing basis to the barren lands owners.
