LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Punjab Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, has approved several major projects including the "Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar" housing initiative, the Chief Minister's Green Tractor Program, and a Children's Heart Surgery Program.
These significant projects were approved during the 15th provincial cabinet meeting.
Additionally, the cabinet approved a policy for the Medical and Dental College Admissions Test (MDCAT) MDCAT for public and private sector medical and dental colleges.
The cabinet endorsed the establishment of Punjab's first life insurance company.
The cabinet also decided to increase penalties and fines related to illegal weapons and kite flying activities in the province.
The cabinet also approved that for the first time in Pakistan, housing loans would be issued based on the ownership papers of a plot and a copy of the identity card.
Under the new scheme, individuals borrowing up to 1.5 million rupees would be required to repay the loan in monthly installments of 14,000 rupees over a period of nine years.
Under the directives of Punjab CM, the housing loan scheme has been converted into a revolving fund, ensuring that no additional charges would be imposed on the public.
Maryam Nawaz has also instructed the streamlining of the scrutiny process for social, economic, and income sources related to housing loans and directed ministers to personally deliver the first installment of the loans.
The provincial cabinet has approved a uniform front design for the "Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar" project.
Chief Minister emphasised the goal of creating conveniences for the public and announced an ambitious plan to build 500,000 homes within the next five years.
Punjab cabinet also approved the distribution of 9,500 tractors under the Green Tractor Program, offering a subsidy of 1 million rupees per tractor to landowners with up to 50 acres of land.
The program would commence on September 20, with a lottery scheduled for October 20.
Chief Minister expressed an aim to provide 30,000 tractors to Punjab's farmers.
Additionally, the cabinet has approved the Chief Minister’s Children's Heart Surgery Program.
Maryam Nawaz directed that 12,000 pending heart surgeries for children be expedited and international surgeons be invited for the procedures.
She has also ordered urgent measures for addressing children's neurological disorders.
Maryam Nawaz instructed the Health Minister to monitor the Children's Heart Surgery Program.
The cabinet applauded her efforts on this initiative.
In other decisions, the Punjab cabinet amended the Punjab Arms Ordinance 1965, increasing penalties for possessing and manufacturing illegal weapons from three to five years of imprisonment and fines from 500,000 to 700,000 rupees.
The cabinet also approved new penalties under the Kite Flying Ordinance 2001, with imprisonment for kite flying offenses now ranging from 2 to 5 years and fines between 2 to 5 million rupees.