Punjab to introduce 'Ration Card Scheme' for 1.5mn workers, laborers

LAHORE: Punjab Cabinet has decided to introduce ‘Ration Card Scheme’ to provide relief to one point five million workers and laborers across the province.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore. Monthly assistance of ten thousand Rupees will be provided to laborers under the scheme.

The Cabinet also approved an amendment in the Food Grains Licensing Control Order, 1957, to ensure 25 percent mandatory wheat procurement by flour mills.

It also approved amendments in the Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005 under which Additional Session Judges will get power of Consumer Court.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has officially launched Pakistan’s first-ever SMART Environment Protection Force, a ground-breaking initiative which is intended to address environmental challenges through innovation and technology.

On April 21, 2025, the announcement was made through the social media platform ‘X,’ where Maryam Nawaz labelled the launch as a “milestone in Punjab’s journey toward environmental improvement.”

The SMART Environment Protection Force is fortified with state-of-the-art tools, which include drone shadowing, real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) monitors, and mobile laboratories.

These progressions are designed to enhance smart eco defenders and guarantee a cleaner, greener future for Punjab.

Dedicated and well-trained crews have been established to regulate critical sectors such as industry, water, plastic, agriculture, transport, and fuel.

The force is dedicated to ensuring prompt responses, productive implementation, and nonstop improvement in air quality