ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) is imparting technical training to around 200 students annually at its two technical training institutes operating in Karak and Quetta, official sources said on Thursday.

Local students are given priority to get training in the field of petroleum industry at an annual expenditure of about Rs 5.185 million, they told APP.

The company, the sources said, was playing an important role in promoting regular and technical education in different parts of the country.

Under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), they said, OGDCL believed that training and education were essential for national development.

"Education is a building block for change. We support education initiatives directed at our employees as well as the people and communities around us," they said.

The sources informed that the company had launched a number of projects under which computers and books were being provided to schools, renovation of schools was carried out, besides encouraging sports activities and creating learning opportunities for the younger generation.

Elaborating the company's education projects, they said, the OGDCL had donated an amount of Rs 58.82 million for the construction of Girl's Hostel at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.

They said it spent an amount of Rs 1.260 million for provision of furniture, electrification and construction of classrooms for Government Primary School Dhoke Rajian at the Rajian Oil Field, Chakwal.

The OGDCL, the sources said, constructed boundary wall, water tank, water cooler at Government Girls High School Chapri Tehsil Jand at a cost of Rs 2.013 million.

They said the company provided electric water coolers, ceiling fans, multimedia projector, microscope and furniture to Government Higher Secondary School Umer Dahu, District Ghotki worth Rs1.955 million.

The company, under its the CSR programme, constructed a classroom, provided computers and printer at Government Higher Secondary School Chanda Khuram, Karak.