Promotion of IT must for rapid development: chief minister | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Promotion of IT must for rapid development: chief minister

JALIL HASSAN AKHTAR

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif has said promotion of Information Technology for the rapid development of the country is need of the hour and the government is implementing a comprehensive programme for this purpose.

He said that after setting up of IT labs in high schools their scope was being extended to middle schools level and as a result million of students would benefit from this facility.

The chief minister was addressing a meeting held on Wednesday to review the pace of implementation of various development programmes in the province. The meeting was attended by Vice Chairman Investment Board, Chairman Planning & Development, Secretary Finance, Chairman Punjab Board of Information Technology, Country Manager of Microsoft and other concerned senior officers.

The chief minister said that government was paying due attention for providing basic amenities to the people as well as rapid development of the province and a record development budget of Rs 193 billion was reflective of this fact. Shahbaz said that government had strictly implemented financial discipline during the last year and in the next fiscal the same would be implemented by reducing non-developmental expenditure and would spend it on the welfare of the people.

He said that imparting latest knowledge to the new generation was of vital importance keeping in view the changing phenomena of the world. Therefore, special attention had been paid for harmonising the syllabus of technical education in accordance with the latest demands, provision of modern equipment and highly trained teachers to the institutes besides promotion of Information Technology.

Shahbaz said that foundation of revolution had been laid in education sector by setting up IT labs in more than 4286 schools of the province and now a project had been evolved for establishing computer labs at middle level in the same transparent manner. He said that setting up of computer labs would leave far reaching impacts on education sector.

He said besides establishment of IT labs, planning was also being made for utilising IT for providing facilities to the people and increasing capacity buildings of various departments and a special committee had been constituted in this regard. He said that Rs 1.96 billion have been allocated for Information Technology in the province.

Shahbaz said that the Punjab government had accelerated work on the project of Land Record Computerisation pending for the years together so that people could get rid of the traditional role of patwari and forgery in registration and transfer of properties. He said that Rs 6 billion had been allocated in the budget for provision of free medicines in the hospitals whereas, scope of facility of free dialysis was being expanded throughout the province during the current financial year and an amount of Rs 300 million had been allocated for this purpose.

The chief minister pointed out that the health department would have no concern with the mobile hospitals whereas, the company providing hospitals would be responsible for maintenance of these hospitals and provision of medical facilities to the people and the Punjab government would provide remuneration for its services. He said that besides upgradation of rural and basic health units, new hospitals were also being constructed throughout the province. The Punjab government was paying special attention to medical education and four new medical colleges would be constructed in the province during current year.

He averred that liver transplantation was also being started in the province and the patients suffering from liver diseases would benefit from this facility. Chairman Planning and Development gave detailed briefing in the meeting with regards to implementation of various projects.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:7/1/2010