Press clubs, PIDs to get internet facilities
ISLAMABAD, January 27,2005 The Ministry of Information Technology has approved a project worth Rs34.5 million to provide computers and internet facilities to all major press clubs of the country.
“It is distressing to learn that our press clubs still rely on archaic methods for receiving and disseminating information and realizing the financial constraints the press clubs face, the government has come up with this project to help improve the dissemination of news in the shortest possible time,” Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said here on January 26.
He said the main idea behind the project was to make full use of IT in equipping the press clubs as well as the Press Information Department’s offices with modern communication facilities to improve their functions.
The approval to the project was given at a meeting of the departmental development working party (DDWP) of ministry of information technology with Secretary Khalid Saeed in the chair.
Under the project, a total of 122 press clubs in all the four provinces as well as Northern Areas will be equipped with computers and connected to the Internet and email facilities for instant exchange of information.
In addition, 11 press information centers/departments all over the country and two district press clubs in Azad Kashmir will also be provided these facilities. Each location will be equipped with a number of computers which would range from 1 to 10 depending on the size of the press club.
In locations where there are two or more computers local area networking will also be provided and all the computers will be connected to the Internet.
In his statement, Awais Leghari stated that in order to make full use of this facility, training component has been included in the project for providing on-site training at all the Press clubs where the facilities are provided.
“To ensure the utilization of the equipment delivery and sustainability after the life of the project each press dues will enter into a formal agreement with the ministry,” he added.He said a similar project had already been implemented successfully by the ministry for the District Bar Associations, where online access to statutory and case laws has been provided to the lawyers and the judges.
Leghari emphasized the creation of knowledge repositories which can be leveraged for the creation of new knowledge.
Source: Frontierpost
Date:1/27/2005
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