Decline in production of cotton by five million bales in the current year will cost farmers $6 billion, a parliamentary panel was informed Tuesday. This was revealed before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which met with Sajid Mehdi in the chair.
Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) said that research and development in the field of agriculture is the mandate of the ministry. However, with regard to formulation of policy, economic coordination and planning in respect of agriculture technology transfer and precision agriculture are the mandates of Ministry of National Food, Security and Research.
The chairman PEC told the committee that the locusts come normally in this season. Every time they come from Iran but no body noticed them reaching Karachi. During the briefing of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Chairman Javed Saleem Qureshi informed that PEC has mandate for regulation of engineering professionals through registration and practice of engineering, regulation of quality engineering education in line with international standard through accreditation, continuous professional engineering development and regulation of construction industry & consultants, adding that it also acts as think tank to render advice on technical matters/ projects for the federal government.
He also informed that engineering education in Pakistan has been recognized internationally under the Washington Accord of June, 2017 due the efforts of PEC. Responding to the question of the member, he elaborated that chairman PEC has been elected as deputy president of Federation of Engineering Institutions of Islamic Countries (FEIIC).
The number of unemployed engineers is increasing in the country, said member committee Usman Tarakai, adding that companies are exploiting engineers. Engineers are forced to sell certificates for a few thousand rupees. Pakistani engineers working abroad should be given right to vote in the council's elections, Tarakai added.
At present there are 270,000 engineers across the country. The previous government had launched an internship program for fifteen thousand engineers, said the chairman PEC, adding that the present government abolished the internship program for engineers. The PEC is trying for internships for engineers in Kamyab Jawan program.
The committee was informed that engineers and laborers are also being brought from China for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The chairman PEC said that foreign companies coming to Pakistan are bound to retain 70 per cent Pakistani engineers. The PEC wrote a letter to the government of Pakistan and an SRO was issued on the recommendation of the council, but this law is not being implemented.
The chairman PEC further informed that ensuring the best quality of engineering education in the country, all universities have been instructed to fulfill the mandatory requirement for establishment of university; otherwise, the guilty universities will be banned and their students will be shifted to other universities and due to this measures 97% universities have fulfilled the basic requirement and the rest of the 3% are making efforts to fulfill the requirements imposed by the PEC.
Furthermore, opening of new university in private sectors in rental or leased building has been banned. Furthermore, all universities have been instructed to make available an amount of Rs 25 million as endowment fund and Rs 20 million in bank account to run the engineering programs. All universities have been instructed to enroll the new students as per sanctioned strength fixed for all departments by PEC.
The PEC is also developing software for registration of the students of the universities through biometric verification from NADRA. This software would be helpful for PEC and engineering student.
Pakistan Engineering Council has also introduced special and certification courses for fresh graduate engineers so that they can generate self-employment. The PEC has also taken steps to provide opportunity to the fresh graduates for getting the C-II category license for self-employment. The PEC has also provided online registration and renewals for Pakistanis engineers settled abroad.
While responding to the question of the committee members, he said that PEC has printed the terms and conditions on the backside of the license issued to the foreign company that it should hire at least 70% Pakistani engineers when the company is awarded the project within the country.
The PEC has the ability to act as a think tank for the country in making of water policy, construction industries regulation, engineering education, building code and solar grid stations.
The secretary, Ministry of S&T, also informed that some agriculture technologies have been developed and adopted by the end user through Pakistan Science Foundation and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
The chairman PEC informed that the council has potential to provide guidelines on the said agenda. He further informed that as the climate change is a global issue, so Pakistan has to move in accordance with the other countries of the world and regions in the field of agriculture.
The agenda items regarding pending legislative business referred to the committee was again deferred for the next meeting due to non-availability of mover of the bill and representative from Ministry of Law and Justice.
Comments
Comments are closed.