Punjab govt raises learner’s driving licence fee to Rs1,000

WEB DESK: The Punjab government has significantly increased the fee for obtaining a learner’s driving license, escalating it from Rs60 to Rs1,000. The decision was greenlit during the 33rd meeting of the provincial cabinet, chaired by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and is set to take effect from January 1, 2024.

Moreover, the cabinet approved fee hikes for licenses about light transport vehicles (LTV), heavy transport vehicles (HTV), and public service vehicles (PSV). Additionally, citizens from the United States, Canada, and other countries will now be able to apply online for licenses, subject to a $100 license fee.

In a bid to address the needs of landless farmers in Cholistan, the cabinet sanctioned the allocation of 344,000 acres of state land at a nominal rate, providing 12.5 acres to each farmer.

The provincial cabinet also took steps to enhance the transfer policy for MBBS and BDS students in government medical and dental colleges, allowing transfers from higher- to lower-grade merit institutions. To improve healthcare for prisoners, the cabinet assigned the management of prison hospitals to the Department of Primary and Secondary Health.

Other notable decisions include the approval of funds to double the number of nursing students in Punjab, the formation of a management committee for the Institute of Public Health in Lahore, and the renewal of the contract between the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department and the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Health Trust for managing Regional Blood Centres in Multan and Bahawalpur.

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Furthermore, the government decided to elevate the status of Children’s Hospital in Faisalabad to that of a medical institute under the Punjab Medical and Health Institutions Act 2003. Additionally, plans are in place to establish the Multan Institute of Kidney Diseases as PKLI-2 to serve South Punjab.

In a move to enhance academic leadership, the caretaker provincial cabinet approved the formation of a committee for the selection of vice-chancellors for the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore and Bahawalpur. Finally, the cabinet granted approval for the policy framework governing the deputation of prosecutors from the Public Prosecutor’s Department to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).