PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Monday decided to hire doctors on contractual basis to overcome shortage of doctors in public sector health institutions.

Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Minister for Information Shah Farman said that doctors would be employed on contractual basis where Public Service Commission`s recruitment process was slow.

`The cabinet has asked the health department to recruit doctors on contract if the Public Service Commission cannot recruit them within the shortest possible time,` he said.

Besides, the department was also direc-ted to make contractual hiring against posts that fell vacant because of doctors having gone on long leave or working at other places on deputation. The department was asked to simplify the procedures in consultation with the provincial chief secretary.

The cabinet decided that advertisements of public sector departments would not carry pictures of government functionaries and public office holders, requiring the public sector entities to route their advertisements through the provincial information department.

In an attempt to discourage the business of usurious loans in the province, the cabinet assented conditional approval to the draft prohibition of loans bill 2013, directing the authorities concerned to make it more comprehensive and unambiguous to extend relief to victims succumbing to adverse effects of the menace.

According to Mr Farman, the cabinet also approved the monthly stipend scheme for the unemployed master degree holders, who got first division in the examinations. Each student would get Rs2,000 permonth. A total of 20,000 master degree holders with first division would be extended monthly stipend for one year.

The education department, said the minister, would disburse Rs500 million whereas additional funds required for executing the scheme would be provided by the provincial government.

The cabinet also approved the setting up of a chief minister`s endowment fund with an initial investment of Rs500 million. The fund would extend merit scholarship to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa students enrolled in the country`s top 10 educational institutions.

The cabinet also decided to legislate for securing sensitive places and business establishments in the province. Besides, it also agreed to introduce `public-private partnership bill, said the minister. He added that the legislation would encourage private sector to come forward and take initiative to make sure the efficient utilisation of public resources.

The cabinet directed the administration department to vacate all government residences from illegal occupants. Similarly, italso approved the recommended amendments to the provincial hydel power policy of 2006 to attract private investors.

Apart from imposing a complete ban on timber harvesting, the cabinet also approved the proposed amendments to the river protection ordinance, Mr Farman said.

He said that a three-member ministerial committee was also constituted under the leadership of Senior Minister Sirajul Haq to recommend austerity measures, controlling unnecessary expenditures in the public sector.

The other members of the committee include Minister for Agriculture Shahram Khan and Shah Farman.

Reviewing progress under the land record computerisation project, the minister said that the cabinet decided to extend its ambit to all the districts in the next financial year, providing funds for the huge exercise.

Similarly, it also gave go ahead signal to the relevant authorities for making legislation for the provincial Auqaf, Haj, religious and minority affairs department in fulfillment of the 18th Amendment.