'Uplift goal not possible without pursuing new technology'

The Punjab government has initiated revolutionary steps to promote modern technology and latest discipline of learning as the development goal was not possible without pursuing up-to-date technology.
Punjab C & W Minister, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin Khan said this while addressing a seminar on 'Demand-based IT training' held in the Agriculture University, under the auspicious of the Punjab Information Technology Board.
The minister said that the PITB had taken a number of steps for IT promotion, as per vision of Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Ellahi, which included capacity building, human resource development and training facilities in the latest IT fields. He said the board was rendering valuable services for developing a breed of competent IT professionals with internationally recognised credentials.
In this regard, he said the Board was arranging latest courses in accordance with the market demands. As much as 80 percent of the fees were being provided by the government in form of subsidy thus only nominal fees were to be paid by the students, which enabled them to undergo this highly in-demand professional training at surprisingly low-cost.
Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said that a Software Technology Park on the pattern of Lahore would also be developed in Faisalabad. The Lahore Software Park is being developed with an expenditure of Rs 2 billion. He assured to request the Punjab chief minister to approve a better Software Technology Park for Faisalabad.
He said that the Punjab land record was being computerised with the assistance of PITB, which would come out of the clutches of a Patwari. Now a common man with a single stroke of a keyboard would have the privilege of accessing the land & revenue records.
PITB Chairman Rizwan Amin Sheikh said the Board was providing training facilities in courses like Oracle, Project Management, Software Testing and other courses at exceedingly economical packages because 80 percent of the course fees were being borne by the government. Agriculture University Acting VC, Dr Muhammad Ishfaq and EDO Finance Dr Tariq Sardar highlighted the steps taken by the district government & the University for promoting IT in their respective organisations.