Plea to give govt schools IT lab
LAHORE – All the four provincial governments have requested the federal government to entrust the programme of setting up IT labs in government schools to the provinces.
This demand was made at first-ever moot of the Information Technology Ministers of Punjab, NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan held here on June 9.
The meeting which was attended by IT Minister NWFP Hussain Ahmad Kanju, IT Minister Balochistan, Muteeullah Agha and IT Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan was also attended by secretaries of these departments.
Since the resignation of Sindh Chief Minister Ali Muhammad Mahar, Sindh cabinet has already been dissolved; hence no body could represent the Sindh Government in June 9’s moot. However, a few days ago, Sindh IT minister arrived here and supported the demand with reference to IT labs.
Provincial IT ministers of Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan agreed on 11-point agenda which apart from others provides standardization of IT curriculum all over the country, setting up IT affiliation board for registering IT institutions with standard facilities & faculties, and finding out avenues of foreign investments in IT sector.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of sharing information & resources for IT sector development and provision of development funds to the provinces on the pattern of access to justice programme. The meeting discussed the possibility of starting hardware manufacturing at local level. It called for setting up IT centres at remote areas and bringing improvement of information technology boards. The meeting demanded of the government that imposition of GST on IT companies be quashed.
Various issues confronting to the information technology sector in the provinces also came under discussion.
Punjab IT secretary briefed the participants about pace of development in IT field with special reference to computerization of land record, Access to Justice Programme, Motor Transport Record and Information System projects in the province.
Punjab IT Minister Abdul Aleem Khan told newsmen that recommendations made at the moot would be presented to Federal Information Technology Minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari who is scheduled to meet provincial IT ministers in Islamabad on Thursday, June 10. He said that main objective of this moot was to develop consensus on IT projects.
IT ministers of Balochistan and NWFP said on the occasion that their provinces are far behind as far as IT development is concerned. They called for taking steps to improve IT infrastructure in the country.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:6/10/2004
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