The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to offer free, high-quality education for talented students in grades 7 through 12 attending public schools. These students will have the chance to study at top schools in the province.
This decision was made during a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, where officials also discussed important topics like energy production, education, food security, wheat purchasing, and sustainable development.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has approved the rehabilitation and restoration of the 17-megawatt (MW) Ranolia Hydropower Project in Lower Kohistan. This project had earlier received approval from the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) for Rs8.1 billion, but now it has been confirmed as a non-ADP scheme, with financial backing from the Asian Development Bank.
The cabinet also approved the purchase of 327 kanal of land for the 88MW Gabral Kalam Hydropower Project in Swat District. This project is financed by the World Bank and, once it starts working, it’s expected to bring in more than Rs7.4 billion in revenue for the province each year.
Additionally, the cabinet agreed to offer extra compensation for land and other property based on a separate valuation study for the 300MW Balakot Hydropower Project on the Kunhar River in Mansehra.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to switch from traditional manual registration books to automated smart cards for motor vehicle registration. The Excise and Taxation Department had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Security Printing Company (NSPC), a federal government entity, to issue these new smart cards in 2022.
The cabinet was informed that these smart cards would cost Rs574 each, which is lower compared to Rs1475 in Islamabad, Rs530 in Punjab, and Rs1600 in Sindh.
Additionally, the cabinet approved the allocation of Rs500 million from the now-defunct FATA Development Authority, along with Rs43 million in accumulated interest, for a fast-track development program in the newly merged districts.
The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has approved the acquisition of land for building a Judicial Complex in Panah Kot, Upper Dir. This is part of the government’s efforts to improve access to the legal system in the region.
Additionally, the cabinet approved the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Registration of Godown Rules 2022, following the requirements of the KP Godown Registration Act 2021. These new rules aim to regulate and register warehouses, creating a reliable system to ensure the steady supply and availability of goods. This move is designed to bring greater stability and order to the storage and distribution of goods in the province.
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The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has reapproved the program offering free, high-quality education for gifted students from grades seven through twelve in government schools. The plan includes doubling both the monthly scholarship amount and the number of students eligible for the scheme in the next academic year, as suggested by the chief minister.
The cabinet stressed that no student should miss out on education because of a lack of textbooks or other essential resources. To ensure this, they ordered a study comparing the quality and cost of textbooks from both government and private publishers. The cabinet also agreed that using old textbooks can be a practical option to benefit the province’s population.