SENIOR Advisor to Chief Minister, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, has directed the officials of the Punjab Privatisation Board (PPB) to auction the public property through proper assessment and advertisement, bidding in a transparent manner.

Presiding over a meeting of the cabinet committee on privatization to oversee privatisation process in Punjab on Thursday, he directed the authorities concerned that amount of the sold property should be utilised for public welfare projects in the same districts and the upgradation of the departments concerned. He said the official property situated in rural areas should be auctioned after advertisement and publicity at the local level also so that the interested local people might participate in the bidding.

The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Finance Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, the chief secretary, member Board of Revenue, chairman Punjab Privatization Board, secretary and officials of the PPB. The meeting approved the bids for public property in various districts of the province.

Meanwhile, chairing a meeting of cabinet committee on concurrent list, Khosa said steps were being taken for necessary amendment to the rules of business and law in the light of 18th Amendment as the powers of most of the departments were being delegated to the provinces and assets concerned would be handed over to the provincial authorities.

The participants of the committee were briefed by the respective secretaries/high ranking officials regarding proposed amendments to the rules regarding labour welfare, health, higher and school education, IC&YA, Auqaf, population welfare, Zakat & Usher, home, revenue and other departments after the abolition of the concurrent list.

The administrative departments after suggesting amendments to the existing laws have forwarded amendments and proposed new laws to the Provincial Law Department.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, SMBR, and secretaries of Law, Finance, Labour, IC&YA, Auqaf, Home, Health, Education, Zakat & Usher and Population Welfare Departments.