Controversial Decision: Punjab Government Increases Fee for Learner Driving License to Rs1,000.

In a questionable decision, the Punjab government has opted to increase the fee for a learner's driving license from Rs60 to Rs1,000. This decision was endorsed during the 33rd session of the provincial cabinet held on Tuesday, chaired by Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The revised fee structure is set to take effect from January 1, 2024.
Additionally, the cabinet approved an increase in fees for LTV (light transport vehicle), HTV (heavy transport vehicle), and PSV (public service vehicle) licenses. Notably, citizens from the United States, Canada, and other countries can apply online, incurring a license fee of $100.
Furthermore, the cabinet sanctioned a transfer policy for MBBS and BDS students in government medical and dental colleges, allowing transfers from high-grade merit to low-grade merit institutions.
In a move to address land distribution, the Punjab cabinet approved the allocation of state land to landless farmers in Cholistan. Approximately 344,000 acres of land will be distributed at a rate of 12.5 acres per farmer, with a nominal allotment fee.
The cabinet entrusted the management of prison hospitals to the Department of Primary and Secondary Health to enhance health facilities for prisoners. Additionally, funds were approved to double the number of nursing students in Punjab, and a management committee for the Institute of Public Health, Lahore, was established.
Other decisions included the renewal of the contract between the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department and the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Health Trust for the operation of Regional Blood Centers, upgrading Children's Hospital, Faisalabad, to a medical institute, establishing Multan Institute of Kidney Diseases as PKLI-2 for South Punjab, and setting up a committee for the selection of vice-chancellors for the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore and Bahawalpur.
Approval was also granted for the policy framework regarding the deputation of prosecutors from the Public Prosecutor's Department to the FIA. The shooting license and fee under Punjab Wildlife Rules 1974 were revised, and the establishment of the Potohar campus of the University of Punjab in Gujjar Khan, along with an agreement for the exchange of information on the registration of motor vehicles with the National Highways and Motorway Police, were also endorsed.