The Punjab government has decided to continue the ambitious institutional reform programme for the next five years. Earlier, this programme was being carried in collaboration with the UK government and its Department of International Development (DFID).
The Secretary, Local Government and Community Development Punjab, Ikhlaq Ahmad Tarrar disclosed this on Wednesday at the inaugural ceremony of two-day international conference on "Embedding Quality Education for All-District Initiatives Across Pakistan".
He said the City District Government Faisalabad has designed and implemented a major institutional programme focusing on a number of key areas that include Improved Fiscal Responsibility, Improved Organisational Development, Capacity Development, Increased Citizen Focus, Active Development and use of Information System.
The objective of the moot was to provide a platform for sharing experiences and positive practices in respect of capacity building at district levels and promote networking across stakeholders, policy makers and researchers on decentralised initiatives in education.
"The reform programme in Faisalabad is one of the best programmes and the government has decided to extend it to other districts for further five years through its own funding," he added. A strategic Policy Unit (SPU) would be established to replicate this programme at the provincial level and Punjab government would provide necessary funding in addition to administrative support, the secretary maintained.
He appreciated the role of the District Nazim, Executive District Officers (EDOs) and the other officials for achieving the desired results of this programme. Similar programmes have been launched in 22 TMAs of Southern Punjab with the financial help of Asian Development Bank, said the secretary adding that the government was also focusing on education and health sectors by improving infrastructure facilities and providing best municipal services. Tarrart hoped that participants of the moot would present viable recommendations that could be used by the federal, provincial and district policy makers.
Earlier, the City District Nazim, Rana Zahid Tauseef vowed to get the objective of 100 percent literacy rate in the industrial city of Faisalabad by strengthening the institutions and providing maximum facilities there.
He said new universities such as Engineering University, Government College University and Women University have been established to provide higher education to the students.
The Nazim also said 500 schools are being strengthened by whole school development programme. In Faisalabad, the number of private educational institutions is 3000, which is far high than the schools in the government sector. However, the government is doing efforts to get access, quality and equity in education sector so as to improve the literacy rate," he maintained.