PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet has approved a supplementary grant Rs1 billion for the scheme “Provision of Free Textbooks and School Bags in Merged Districts” and directed the preparation of a comprehensive plan in this regard.
A marathon meeting of the cabinet was held on April 10, presided over by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur.
The cabinet also approved the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (Cultivation, Extraction, Refining, Manufacturing and sale of Derivatives of Cannabis Plants for Medicinal Research, Industrial and Commercial Purposes) Rules, 2025. The regulatory framework will allow the provincial government to oversee cannabis production for medicinal and industrial use.
The cabinet approved a revision in the cost of the ‘Missing Basic Facilities in Schools’ project under the Conditional Grant Program and also revised the expenditure ceiling in the Parent Teacher Council (PTC) guidelines. The annual expenditure limit for PTCs has been increased from Rs. 05 million to Rs. 07 million, with an emphasis on transparent and efficient utilization of these funds.
Additionally, the cabinet approved the restoration and enhancement of Grant-in-Aid for Deeni Madaris, releasing Rs100 million for the purpose.
In the health sector, a new ‘Sehat Card Transplant & Implant Scheme’ was launched. Under this initiative, the provincial government will cover the cost of bone marrow, liver and kidney transplants, as well as cochlear implant, for eligible patients across the province.
The cabinet granted a waiver to the health department from standard procedures for leasing local government property for the construction of civil dispensaries in polio-related super high-risk union councils of Peshawar.
It also approved the merger of the Governor’s Inspection Team (GIT) with the Provincial Inspection Team (PIT) as the GIT had become redundant following the merger of FATA and the amendments in the Universities Act, 2012.
Approval was given for the construction of the remaining section of the Northern Peshawar Ring Road, from Warsak Road to Nasir Bagh Road. The chief minister instructed that the new section be linked with the Industrial Estate Hayatabad for better connectivity.
It also approved The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Government Servants Housing Foundation Bill, 2025. Under the scheme, government servants will be provided plots for construction of houses in a proper manner.
The cabinet decided that instead of hiring legal counsel for Anti-Narcotics Force Case Constitution (Petition No. 11 of 2020) and others, in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Advocate General Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will defend the province. It also approved a grant of Rs30 million for the K-P Bar Council.
The cabinet approved Rs3.6 billion for the purchase of sanitation vehicles for 132 TMAs of the province. The cabinet emphasized the importance of maintaining cleanliness and protecting the environment in all areas.
To address the growing water needs of Peshawar’s population, the cabinet approved the construction cost of the intake structure and tunnel for a drinking water supply scheme from the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project, to be funded by provincial resources.
News published in the Express Tribune on 12th April 2025
