INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
ISLAMABAD: Federal Cabinet on Tuesday decided to abolish all the ministries and divisions budgetary allocations meant for entertainment and
gifts with an aim to endegree judicious utilization of public money for welfare of the common man.&There were measure provisions in
ministries and divisions, under which funds were allocated for ‘chai and pani& (tea and water)
The cabinet has formally abolished these provisions nowadays
So now there shall be no entertainment and gift funds there,& Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Widecasting Dr
Firdous Ashiq Awan said while briefing media on the Federal Cabinet assembly.She said the cabinet also decided to end the culture of
additional charge in all the ministries and divisions within next three months as such posts would be filled properly
No summary for approval of additional charge would be presented in the cabinet in future, she added.The SAPM said the cabinet assembly,
chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, plannedd on 16 agenda items and most important among them was ensuring improved supply of electricity
to consumers during the holy month of Ramazan specificly at Sehr and Iftar hours.She said the cabinet ratified the decisions of preceding
assembly of Economic Coordination Committee.Firdous Ashiq Awan said the cabinet was briefed by Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood regarding
initiatives to bring 30,000 Madaris into national mainstream.She said wrong insight was made in media that these Madaris would be under the
Rather, these would be linked with the Ministry but work independently.She said the education minister apprised the cabinet that one window
registration of these Madaris and monitoring of their funds were important for their mainstreaming.She said the ministry of education would
play the role of a facilitator to the Madaris, adding that modern education was the right of every children studying at the Madaris
&We wanted to supply modern and quality education to them as they are also our children& she added.Firdous Ashiq Awan said the students
would also be taught about use of social media so that they could be brought out from isolation.As per the vision of Prime Minister Imran
Khan, the SAPM said a uniformed curriculum would be introduced in all schools and Madaris
While, Ministry of Education would also assist the foreign students studying in these Madaris, she added.In addition, she said, vocational
training would be imparted to Madressah student for their capacity building so that they could be more useful member of the society after
passing their graduation.The SAPM said the cabinet also ratified agreement on technical cooperation between Pakistan and Brazil, besides it
approved the annual report of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) that would be presented in the Parliament.She said the
cabinet was also informed about the steps taken by the Ministry of Health to reduce the prices of medicines.Firdous Ashiq Awan said the
cabinet had decided to resume the licences of cellular companies worth $449 million
She said that the cabinet had also decided to set up Pakistan China Engineering University at Prime Minister Home
She said that China would supply about Rs 400 billion for the university.She said that cabinet had also decided to reactivate Pakistan Steel
Mills through public private partnership.The SAPM expressed confidence that the next federal budget would be in line with the public
expectations and all allied parties would be taken into confidence before presenting the fiscal budget in the parliament.Commenting on PML-N
leader Nawaz Sharif return to jail, she said it was unlucky that a convicted person was going back to jail with such pump and show by his
party.She said in civilized societies convicted persons were much glorified, adding that glorifying the convicted person tantamount to
committing the same crime
&Nawaz Sharif is a convicted and much an accused.&The SAPM said convicted Nawaz Sharif was violating all rules and laws of the jail
manual.Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan said that government had set the target to get rid of the power circular debt by December 2020.He
said during 2017-18, the circular debt had increased by Rs 450 billion which would be brought down to Rs 293 billion during the current year
and Rs 96 billion by 2019-20
However, the circular debt would be totally overcome by end of next year.He said the prime minister was told that a 25-year plan had been
finalized to bridge the ever increasing gap between demand and supply of electricity
Moreover, a fresh policy for power production through alternate energy resources had been formulated, he added.Under the policy, the
minister said 20 percent of total electricity would be produced from alternative resources by 2025 which would be enhanced to 30 percent by
2030.The minister said that the ministry drive to curb power theft and recovery of dues had brought in positive outcomes
Within four months, the additional power dues worth Rs 48 billion had been recovered that would touch Rs 80 billion mark by year end and Rs
190 billion till June 2020.He said that a special focus was being given to handle the losses caused by theft, technical and transmission
issues that were coming to fruition.As a step to curb power theft, 27,000 First Information Reports (FIR) had been registered against those
involved while 4,225 people had been arrested including 433 officials of the power sector
Moreover, amuchher 1,467 officials had been charge-sheeted.The minister said that no power load shedding would be done on 80 percent feeders
across the country during the holy month of Ramadan due to improved distribution and transmission system
For rest 20 percent feeders, a load management plan had been formulated in accordance with the losses and where the ratio of power theft was
However, it has been endegreed to supply uninterrupted power supply during Sehr and Iftar.He said the preceding governments had failed to
incorporate the expenses incurred on net hydel profits and different power projects in power tariff that was why the consumers were bearing
an additional burden now.The installed capacity of the country was 30,000 megawatt while 24,000 megawatt could be generated.The minister
guaranteed that Tribal Electric Supply Company would supply electricity for 10 hours each day instead of four hours in the tribal areas and
there would be no load shedding during Sehri and Iftar during Ramazan.Omar said electricity more than that could much be supplied because of
&We shall build the infrastructure and install feeders, conductors and polls to improve the system and supply the same kind of facilities as
available in other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.&About the prices of petroleum products, he said that the PTI government had decreased the
GST and Petroleum Levy on the products as compared to preceding governments.TheIndianSubcontinent has not verified the content of the source
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