Punjab Planning and Development (P&D) Chairman Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani has said that a sum of Rs 10 billion would be spent on deserving students through the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). The chairman was talking to a 20th National Security Workshop held at the 90-Shahrah Quaid-e-Azam on Friday which was attended by a large number of parliamentarians, senior civil and military officers and members of civil society.
Addressing the workshop, the P&D chairman said they are working to set up research centres and community colleges to improve standard of education, adding five mega projects are being executed in the province under the CPEC. "A taskforce would present its recommendations for the creation of South Punjab province and 30 percent of budget would be spent through village councils after new local government system," added Rehman.
Provincial Higher Education Minister Raja Yasir Hamayun claimed that provision of quality education was not among the priority of previous governments, but it is now on top of agenda of the present government. He mentioned that steps are being taken to give Urdu status of educational language at federal level and a strategy would be devise after taking into consideration all aspects. Hamayun further said that the chief minister is 'centre of power' in Punjab and all other persons and departments are assisting him. "The powers of chief minister are being discussed in media due to one-man show in the past. Every person is working within his domain," he added.
Talking about the performance of the Punjab police, he remarked that police reforms are imperative, saying steps are being taken to empower SHOs and introduce a system of checks and balances. Subjects of general education would be made part of four year degree programme to keep students aware of basic knowledge, the minister pledged.
Punjab Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar said the previous governments could not justifiably distribute resources among different areas in the province. There is need to focus on deprived and neglected areas of the Punjab and for this purpose comprehensive programme is being implemented. "A change would be visible within two to three years in this regard," he claimed.
According to the CS, innovation is a must to run the system successfully and changes are being made in bureaucracy to bring improvement, adding the affairs of province are being run in accordance with the Constitution and Rules of Business. He said the government is taking measures to bring police reforms and improve governance and taskforces are working to achieve its targets at provincial and federal levels. "Due to lack of planning and haste, cost of some projects has increased manifold. The cost of Orange Line Train project has reached Rs 250 billion and the train is expected to run on trial basis by June 30 next year," the chief secretary said. It is necessary that people should get benefits of such a mega project involving huge investments. Mega projects could be made successful only with proper planning, he maintained.
In his concluding remarks, Director General Institute of Strategic Studies and Research Analysis National Defence University Major General Samrez Salik said the education system is not providing quality education; there is a need to introduce critical thinking in the education system. He remarked: "We are dominated by anger and ego. People do not dare to question political and religious leaders. The state needs to control such mafias. Financially strong provinces should help provinces that are less resourceful. Right use of funds could be done by investing in deprived and neglected areas."
Later, a delegation led by Muhammad Samrez Salik was given briefing on the development projects, education reforms and use of IT for good governance in Punjab by Raja Yasir Hamayun and Yousaf Naseem Khokhar.
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