A project implementation letter was signed between the Punjab government and USAID at Chief Minister Secretariat here on Saturday for promotion of education in five backward districts of southern Punjab, having the lowest literacy rate. Under the agreement, USAID will provide a grant of 148 million dollars.
Secretary, Schools, Muhammad Aslam Kamboh, and USAID Director, Lahore Betch Paige, signed the document. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, outgoing US Ambassador Anne W Patterson, Adviser Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Provincial Ministers Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman and Dost Muhammad Khosa, US Consul General Carmella Conroy, Members of National and Provincial Assemblies, USAID representatives and other officers were also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said that the agreement between the Punjab government and USAID was a welcome development. He said that 148 million dollars grant would be spent on promotion of education in DG Khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal and Bahawalpur districts. He said that it was the largest grant offered by USAID for promotion of education and it would be spent on provision of missing facilities in schools, textbooks, teachers' training, and reconstruction of schools destroyed by floods.
He said that the project would benefit 7818 schools in these five districts having 1,448,000 students. He said that the Punjab government is grateful for the grant which is a gift for Punjab during the tenure of US Ambassador Anne W Patterson in Pakistan.
Paying tributes to the services of outgoing US ambassador, he said that she had played an effective role in strengthening relations between the two countries and resolving misunderstandings from time to time. Anne said that under the agreement between Punjab government and USAID $148 million would be provided to Punjab government for education sector under a 3-year programme.
She said that under a changed development strategy, US has decided to work with provinces along with federal government in Pakistan and keeping in view the performance of Punjab government it has taken a start from Punjab. Secretary, Education said that $10 million would be spent on provision of missing facilities, $12 million for provision of textbooks, and $10 million would be spent on reconstruction of schools destroyed by floods.
Earlier, the US Ambassador discussed the agreement with Shahbaz. The Chief Minister said that the agreement between the Punjab government and USAID was a milestone and it was the largest grant offered by the USAID to any country in the education sector. He said that the project would be implemented expeditiously.
He said that education promotion is the top priority of the Punjab government and revolutionary steps have been taken for this purpose. He said that USAID education programme for backward districts of the province is commendable and it should also consider including Muzaffargarh, the worst flood-affected district, in the southern Punjab Basic Education Programme.