Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that government was following a comprehensive policy for the promotion of information technology (IT) in the province and Rs five billion were being spent on provision of computers to schools throughout the province.
He said this during a meeting with Country Director Microsoft Kamal Ahmad here on Sunday. Chairman Taskforce Haroon Khawaja, Raja Muhammad Anwar, Provincial Secretary Education, Secretary Information Technology and other concerned officials were present on the occasion.
He said that IT City would be constructed on a vast piece of land for promotion of IT. Shahbaz Sharif said that he had introduced IT in the province in 1997-98 and had also made an agreement with a renowned firm in this regard but no mentionable steps were taken for the promotion of IT during the last eight years.
He said that resources were wasted and an impracticable project of IT park was made on a busy Ferozepur Road, where traffic remained jam most of the time. He said that as the young generation was their future so provision of best IT facilities to them was top priority of the government.
He directed Secretary Education to complete the project within stipulated period and made it clear that no compromise would be made on standard and quality.
He said that the firm providing computers would have to pre-qualify and the firm providing IT would provide technology in the schools under a complete package in which looking after of the computers for three years, provision of experts for training, hardware and other facilities are included. He asked Secretary Information Technology to immediately select a suitable piece of land for IT City so that the project could be started soon.
Country Director Microsoft Kamal Ahmad gave his proposals for promotion of information technology in the province and said that he would provide all possible co-operation for promotion of IT to the Punjab government.