1 week Ago By OUR STAFF REPORT
PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet took a number of decisions concerning the welfare of the general public in the sectors of Health, Education, Water Supply and Public Health, Tourism, Environment, Sanitation, and Energy & Power. A marathon meeting of the cabinet was held on Thursday, chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and attended by cabinet members, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, the Senior Member Board of Revenue, Administrative Secretaries, and the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The cabinet approved a supplementary grant of Rs1 billion for the scheme titled “Provision of Free Textbooks and School Bags in Merged Districts”, and directed the concerned authorities to prepare a plan for providing school bags to all school-going children, beginning with those currently being enrolled during the ongoing enrolment campaign.
The cabinet emphasized the importance of basic education for children and reiterated its commitment to ensuring access to education for every child in the province. It was decided that the timely printing of textbooks would be ensured, their quality improved, costs reduced, and outstanding dues of the Education Department cleared on a priority basis. Consultative workshop held on countering violent extremism The cabinet also approved a revision in the cost of Missing Basic Facilities under the Conditional Grant Program and the expenditure ceiling of Parent Teacher Councils (PTCs).
Following this decision, the annual expenditure limit for PTCs has been increased from Rs. 0.5 million to Rs0.
7 million. Transparent utilization of these funds was strongly emphasized. Furthermore, the Cabinet approved the restoration and enhancement of Grant-in-Aid for Deeni Madaris/Darul Ulooms in the province and released Rs.
100 million for the purpose. The revised ADP project for the University of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Swat was approved at a revised cost of Rs3,636.50 million, along with its renaming to University of Computing Sciences, Swat.
It was decided that the university’s main campus would be urgently completed, allowing it to shift operations from a rented building during the current financial year. In the health sector, the Cabinet launched a new initiative under the Sehat Card: Transplant & Implant Scheme. Under this initiative, the provincial government will bear the cost of bone marrow, liver, and kidney transplants, as well as cochlear implants, for all eligible patients in the province—costs not previously covered under the Sehat Card Scheme.
KP CS reviews MTIs’ performance, healthcare services The cabinet granted a procedural waiver to the Health Department for leasing local government property to construct civil dispensaries in Polio-related Super High-Risk Union Councils of Peshawar. It approved a grant of Rs30 million to Khyber Medical University for establishing the KMU Institute of Nursing Sciences in D I Khan. Additionally, a supplementary grant of Rs.
189.65 million was approved for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority. As a cost-saving measure, the cabinet approved the merger of the Governor’s Inspection Team (GIT) with the Provincial Inspection Team (PIT).
Following the FATA merger and amendments to the Universities Act (2012), GIT had become redundant. Appointments were approved for the Finance, Technical, and HR members of the Board of Directors of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transmission and Grid System Company. The cabinet approved the construction of the remaining section of the Northern Peshawar Ring Road, from Warsak Road to Nasir Bagh Road.
The Chief Minister directed that the road be connected to the Industrial Estate, Hayatabad. Retendering of four bridges—Khyali in Charsadda, Matra, Michni, and Kababiyan in Peshawar—was also approved. Storytelling session held at IMCB G-6/3 Amendments were approved to the Model Bye-Laws for the Establishment of Private Fruit and Vegetable Markets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TMAs and Tehsil Local Government, 2021), allowing parallel markets within a two-kilometre distance to enhance market competition and public convenience.
The cabinet approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Servants Housing Foundation Bill, 2025, under which government servants will be allotted plots for residential construction in a structured manner. In legal affairs, the Cabinet decided that instead of hiring external legal counsel for Anti-Narcotics Force Case Constitution (Petition No. 11 of 2020) and others in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will represent the province.
A grant of Rs30 million was also approved for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council. The cabinet approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Apprenticeship Rules, 2025, replacing the outdated Apprenticeship Ordinance, 1962. The new rules, aligned with the Apprenticeship Act, 2022, aim to modernize apprenticeship programs to meet contemporary industrial needs and global standards.
Commissioner directs for foolproof security measures on Baisakhi festival It also approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Culture, Tourism, Archaeology and Museum Department and the Climate Change, Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department for the development of eco-tourism projects, promoting sustainable tourism and environmental conservation. A fund of Rs3.6 billion was approved for the procurement of sanitation vehicles for 132 TMAs across the province.
The Cabinet emphasized the importance of cleanliness and environmental protection throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To address the growing water needs of Peshawar, the cabinet approved the construction cost of the Intake Structure and Tunnel for the Drinking Water Supply Scheme from Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project (MDHP). It was directed that the feasibility of supplying water to water-scarce areas of Mohmand District also be explored.
The proposed scheme, which will deliver 300 MGD (470 cusecs) of water to Peshawar via gravity flow, is expected to fulfil 80% of the city’s water demand by 2048, according to the feasibility study. While the Mohmand Dam reservoir includes drinking water allocation, the original PC-I prepared by WAPDA does not account for the cost of this specific water supply infrastructure. The cabinet approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Cultivation, Extraction, Refining, Manufacturing, and Sale of Derivatives of Cannabis Plants for Medicinal Research, Industrial, and Commercial Purposes) Rules, 2025.
These rules aim to regulate cannabis production for medicinal and industrial use, establish a licensing regime, enforce strict monitoring to prevent misuse, and unlock economic potential. The framework includes a taxation regime to maximize revenue, prevent illicit trafficking, create local employment, and promote cannabis-related research. Licenses will be issued for various purposes including cultivation, nurseries, processing, testing, medical and research use, industrial sales, transport, wholesale/retail, CBD edibles, and hemp cultivation and processing.
Tags: cabinet approves grant.
