In a landmark move for labor welfare, the cabinet approved the allocation of 1,220 flats for industrial workers in Sundar, Kasur, and Taxila labor colonies, to be distributed through balloting.

The Chief Minister rejected the proposal to charge workers for these flats and ordered immediate steps to construct an additional 3,000 housing units for industrial workers.

The cabinet also approved a uniform minimum wage of Rs40,000 for skilled, semi-skilled, and other workers in 102 categories. Rescue 1122 personnel performing flood duty will receive a bonus of Rs50,000 each, with the CM praising their relief work during recent floods.

Also Read: BISP to make survey registration easier, here are details

In education reforms, the government will now conduct official exams for Grade 5 (assessment) and Grade 8 (regular examination). Widows of government employees will receive a lifetime pension.

Prison reforms include establishing industries inside jails, with prisoners being paid for their labor, along with a third-party monitoring system for prisons.

For investment facilitation, an online application system for petrol pump permits has been approved, reducing required documents from 16 to 6 and enabling online NOC issuance. The cabinet also approved the Punjab Occupational Safety & Health Rules 2024, directing strict enforcement to protect workers, especially in sewerage and construction sectors.