Punjab govt rejects proposal to hike metro bus fares

LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet’s standing committee on finance on Thursday rejected a proposal to jack up the fares of the Metro Bus Services, ARY News reported.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, who presided over a meeting of the committee, said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government didn’t want to put financial burden on the poor people by hiking fares.

He directed the authorities concerned to work out other viable means to scale up the resources. “It is our responsibility to provide relief to common man,” he told the committee.

Among other key decisions made during the meeting are approval for provision of financial assistance to families of contract employees who die during the course of employment, completion of the required process for hiring a new managing director of the Mass Transit Authority, and new recruitment in the media wing of the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR).

Besides, the committee also gave the go-ahead for appointments in the Special Monitoring Unit, and Dengue Prevention Program. It also decided to set up a separate health facility for neonatal care along with a nursing college.

The committee approved the release of funds for District Headquarters Hospital, Chakwal and setting up of a shelter home in Taunsa Sharif.