PUNJAB REPRODUCTIVE, MATERNAL, NEO-NATAL AND CHILD HEALTH AUTHORITY ACT 2014

Exact source transcription retained, including print layout and extraction artifacts. Text SHA-256: 76098930dcbe0d9717592f6f0a08947059ebe68b60258413ab2d76f73c9c31f1.

THE PUNJAB REPRODUCTIVE, MATERNAL, NEO-NATAL 
AND CHILD HEALTH AUTHORITY ACT 2014 
(VIII of 2014) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. The Authority 
4. The Board 
5. Qualifications of the members 
6. Additional Director General 
7. Powers and functions 
8. Delegation 
9. Committees 
10. Employees of the Authority 
11. Directions to the Authority 
12. Fund 
13. Budget and accounts 
14. Audit 
15. Annual report 
16. Members and employees to be public servants 
17. Immunity of the Authority and its employees 
18. Act to prevail over other laws 
19. Rules 
20. Regulations 
21. Power to remove difficulties 
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB REPRODUCTIVE, MATERNAL, NEO-NATAL AND CHILD 
HEALTH AUTHORITY ACT 2014  
(VIII of 2014) 
[27th March, 2014] 
An 
Act 
to provide for the establishment of the Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neo-
natal and Child Health Authority. 
Preamble.– Whereas it is expedient to establish an Authority for purpose s of 
providing a legal framework for managing affairs of employees and staff of national 
program for primary healthcare and family planning and for ancillary matters; 
It is enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the Punjab  
Reproductive, Maternal, Neo-natal and Child Health Authority Act 2014. 
(2) It shall extend to whole of the Punjab. 
(3) It shall come into force at once. 
2. Definitions.– In this Act– 
(a) “Act” means the Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neo -natal and Child 
Health Authority Act 2014; 
(b) “Additional Director General” means the Additional Director General  
Health Services, Primary Health Care and Family Planning, Punjab  
appointed under section 5 of the Act; 
(c) “asset” means the movable and immovable property owned or controlled 
by the Authority;  
(d) “Authority” means the Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neo -natal and 
Child Health Authority established under the Act; 
(e) “Board” means the Board of Governors constituted under the Act; 
(f) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Board; 
(g) “Director General” means Director General Health Services, Punjab; 
(h) “employee” mean s the employees or staff of national program for 
family planning and primary health program serving in the Punjab 
under the administrative control of provincial program management unit 
or a person appointed by the Authority, other than a c ivil servant 
working in the provincial program management unit or in the Authority 
on transfer, posting or deputation;   
(i) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
                                                           
1This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 20 March 2014; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 25 March 
2014; and, was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 27 March 2014, pages 2939-2943 
(j) “member” means a member of the Board; and 
(k) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules or regulations. 
3. The Authority .– (1) The Government shall, by notification, establish the 
Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neo-natal and Child Health Authority. 
(2) The Authority shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and 
a common seal with power to acquire, hold and dispose of any property and shall sue 
and be sued by the said name. 
(3) The Authority shall not enter into any agreement or memorandum of 
understanding without prior general or special approval of the Government. 
(4) The Authority shall not acquire or dispose of any immovable property 
without prior permission in writing of the Government. 
(5) A person shall not enter upon or in any way use the assets without 
written approval of the Authority. 
4. The Board .– (1) The Authority s hall be managed and supervised by the 
Board of Governors consisting of the following:– 
(a) Minister for Health, Punjab and, in his absence, 
Advisor to Chief Minister on Health, Parliamentary 
Secretary for Health or any other person nominated 
by the Government; 
Chairperson 
(b) Secretary to the Government, Health Department; Vice Chairperson 
(c) two members of the Provincial Assembly of the 
Punjab including at least one woman member to be 
nominated by the Speaker of the Assembly;  
Members 
(d) Secretary to the Government, Finance Department; Member 
(e) Secretary to the Government, Law and Parliamentary 
Affairs Department; 
Member 
(f) Secretary to the Government, Planning and 
development Department; 
Member 
(g) Secretary to the Government, Population Welfare 
Department; 
Member 
(h) Special Secretary to the Government, Health 
Department;                                     
Member 
(i) Director General; Member 
(j) Additional Director General;  Member/Secretary 
(k) three persons including at least one woman fr om civil 
society to be nominated by the Government; and 
Members 
(l) two public health specialist s to be nominated by the 
Government. 
Members 
(2) The Chairperson may, for a meeting of the Board or for a specific 
matter under consideration of the Board, co -opt any other person who is either an 
elected representative at national or provincial level, or is a renowned public health 
or public administration specialist from private or public sector. 
(3) An act or proceedings of the Board shall not be invalid mer ely for 
reason of any vacancy or defect in the constitution of the Board.  
(4) The Board shall meet at such time and place and shall observe such 
procedure in regard to transaction of business at its meetings as may be prescribed 
and until so prescribed as may be directed by the Chairperson. 
(5) The meetings of the Board shall be presided over by– 
(a) Chairperson; or 
(b) in the absence of the Chairperson, by the Vice Chairperson; or 
(c) in the absence of the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson, by such 
other member as the Chairperson may nominate. 
(6) A member of the Board, other than an ex officio member, shall hold 
office for a term of three years and may be re -nominated by the Government for 
another term. 
5. Qualifications of the members .– No person shal l be nominated, or shall 
continue to be a member, if he: 
(a) is or, at any time, has been convicted of an offence involving moral 
turpitude; or 
(b) is or, at any time, has been declared insolvent; or  
(c)  is found to be a lunatic or of unsound mind; or  
(d) is a minor; or 
(e) has a financial interest in any aspect of the Authority, or has a conflict 
of interest, directly or indirectly, with the Authority. 
6. Additional Director General .– (1) The Government shall , on the 
recommendation of the Board, appoint an Additional Director General. 
(2) The Additional Director General shall be the Chief Operating Officer of 
the Authority, and shall , subject to the general guidance and supervision of the 
Board, perform his functions under the administrative control of the Director General. 
(3) The Additional Director General shall exercise such powers as are 
assigned to him by the Board or as may be prescribed. 
(4) The Additional Director General shall– 
(a) be a whole-time employee of the Authority; 
(b) hold office during the pleasure of the Government; 
(c) be the principal accounting officer of the Authority; and 
(d) be competent to enter into contracts on behalf of the Authority in 
accordance with this Act. 
(5) The Government shall determine the terms and conditions of the 
service of the Additional Director General. 
(6) Notwithstanding the expiration of the term of the Additional Director 
General, the Government may allow him to continue to hold office for a further period of 
one year. 
(7) Nothing contained in this secti on shall preclude the Government from 
re-appointing the Additional Director General to hold that office for a period not 
exceeding three years at a time. 
(8) The Additional Director General may resign by tendering resignation to 
the Government or may be removed by the Government. 
(9) The Additional Director General may, subject to the approval of the 
Board– 
(a) delegate any of his financial powers to an officer of the Authority; and 
(b) appoint a n advisor, including legal advisor, or a consultant on such 
terms and conditions and for such period as the Authority may 
prescribe. 
7. Powers and functions .– (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and rules, 
the Authority may exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be 
necessary for carrying out purposes of the Act. 
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the provision of 
subsection (1), the Authority shall– 
(a) administer and regulate the affairs of the employees, including terms 
and conditions of their services as community based workers; 
(b) employ and remove the employees working under its control; 
(c) develop and notify, with the approval of the Government, the terms and 
conditions of the service of the employees; 
(d) take or cause to be taken such measures as are required fo r entering 
into contracts including concession agreements, granting licenses and 
other contractual instruments for the following purposes:– 
(i) improving contraceptive prevalence rate; 
(ii) reducing unmet need for contraception; 
(iii) increasing percentage  of women receiving at least four 
antenatal cares from skilled providers;  
(iv) increasing tetanus toxoid vaccination , skilled birth attendance, 
institutional deliveries, women receiving postnatal care and 
children fully immunized;  
(v) increasing percentage of pregnant women knowing  at least two 
danger signs of pregnancy and percentage of mothers aware of at-
least two benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and early initiation of 
breast feeding and exclusive breast feeding; 
(vi) increasing percentage of chil dren, suffering from diarrhoea, 
treated with oral rehydration solution and zinc; 
(vii) increasing percentage of mothers able to identify at least two 
danger signs in early childhood illness like pneumonia;  
(viii) decreasing severe and moderate wasting prevalence; and  
(ix) decreasing prevalence of  anaemia among pregnant women. 
(e) develop and recommend the minimum service delivery standards for 
reproductive, maternal, neo -natal and child health and nutrition 
services, as may be notified by the Punjab Heal thcare Commission 
under the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010 (XVI of 2010);  
(f) play stewardship role in formulation of program policy guidelines in 
consultation with the stakeholders;  
(g) constitute and notify the technical advisory groups on diffe rent thematic 
areas for formulating technical guidelines; and 
(h) cause performance audit and internal financial audit to be conducted 
pertaining to primary health care and family planning services.  
8. Delegation.– The Board may, subject to such condition s as it deems 
appropriate, delegate to the Additional Director General or an officer of the Authority 
any of its powers or functions under the Act. 
9. Committees.– The Board may constitute such committees as it may deem 
necessary for carrying out the purposes of the Act. 
10. Employees of the Authority.– (1) The Authority may, subject to the approval 
of the Board, appoint such persons as it deems necessary for the efficient 
performance of its functions under the Act  and prescribed terms and conditions of 
their service. 
(2) The Authority may devise a system to provide benefits in lieu of 
pension. 
11. Directions to the Authority .–  (1) The Government may give general or 
special directions to the Authority and the Authority shall comply with such directions. 
(2) The Authority shall immediately act to rectify any neglect in the 
performance of its functions when so informed by the Government. 
12. Fund.– (1) There shall be established a fund known as the Reproductive, 
Maternal, Neo-natal, Child Health Authority Fund, which shall vest in the Authority and 
which shall be utilized by the Authority to meet all its expenses and charges in 
connection with the discharge of its functions and powers under the Act, including the 
payment of salaries and remuneration to the employees. 
(2) The Authority shall establish an escrow account in a scheduled bank 
approved by the Government and the account shall be collectively operated by the 
authorized representatives of the Authority. 
(3) All monies credited in the Fund shall be deposi ted with the bank 
approved by the Government.  
(4) The Fund shall be financed by– 
(a) amounts or grants received from the Federal Government; 
(b) amounts or grants from received from the Government; 
(c) amounts received from any other body or organization; 
(d) proceeds of all charges and  income from sale of assets, and any 
recovery made under the Act; and  
(e) such other sum as may be received by the Authority. 
(5) The Authority shall not obtain any loan and shall not incur any debt. 
13. Budget and account s.– (1) The Additional Director General shall place the 
annual budget statement of the Authority before the Board for approval  before the 
commencement of a financial year. 
(2) The Authority shall maintain proper accounts and other records relating 
to its financial affairs including its income and expenditures statement in such form 
and manner as may be prescribed.  
(3) Within three months of the end of each financial year, the Authority, in 
the prescribed manner, shall cause to be prepared financial year s tatements of 
account of the Authority. 
14. Audit.–  (1) The Auditor General of Pakistan shall annually audit the accounts 
of the Authority. 
(2) The Government, in addition to the audit under subsection (1), may 
cause the annual accounts of the Authority au dited, in the prescribed manner, by a 
chartered accountant or a firm of chartered accountants. 
15. Annual report.–  (1) The Authority shall, within three months of the close of a 
financial year, submit to the Government an annual report. 
(2) The report shall consist of– 
(a) a statement of accounts of the Authority; 
(b) a comprehensive statement of the performance and activities of the 
Authority during the preceding financial year; and  
(c) such other matters as may be prescribed and as the Authority may 
consider appropriate. 
16. Members and employees to be public servants .– The Chairman, Vice 
Chairman, members, Additional Director General and employees of the Authority 
shall, when acting or purporting to act in pursuance of any of the provisions of the 
Act, be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the 
Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (XLV of 1860). 
17. Immunity of the Authority and its employees .– No suit, prosecution or any 
other legal proceedings shall lie against the Authority, the Chai rman, Vice Chairman, 
the Additional Director General or any employee of the Authority, in respect of 
anything done or intended to be done in good faith under the Act. 
18. Act to prevail over other laws .– In the event of any conflict or inconsistency 
between a provision of the Act and a provision of any other law, the provisions of the 
Act shall, to the extent of such conflict or inconsistency, prevail. 
19. Rules.–  The Government may, by notification, make rules to carry out 
purposes of the Act. 
20. Regulations.– (1) Subject to the Act and the rules, the Authority may frame 
regulations to give effect to the provisions of the Act. 
(2) Without prejudice to the foregoing powers, such regulations may 
provide for appointment of its employees and other persons, te rms and conditions of 
their service and performance of functions by the Authority. 
21. Power to remove difficulties .–  If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the 
provisions of the Act, the Government may, by notification, not inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act, remove the difficulty  within a period of two years from the 
commencement of this Act.