Punjab government has earmarked funds of Rs 200 million for the establishment of Day Care Centres all over the Punjab for facilitating the working women and more than 102 Day Care Centres have been made functional in the various districts of Punjab.
This was stated by Punjab Minister for Women Development Hameeda Waheed-u-Din while inaugurating the Day Care Centre at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute Jhang Road which has been established at a cost of Rs 2.260 million to facilitate the children of women staff. Director General Agriculture (Research) Dr Abid Mehmood, Director Women Development Muhammad Arshid, Incharge Day Care Centre Ramuza Rafiq and other officers of agriculture department were present on the occasion.
Addressing the ceremony, Punjab Minister for Women Development Hameeda Waheed-u-Din said that the Punjab government had introduced revolutionary policies for the welfare and rehabilitation of the women and a number of steps had been taken for their socio economic empowerment.
The Minister informed that the enforcement of Women Protection Act was significant step of Punjab government for safeguarding the rights of women. She said that soft loans of Rs 7 billion were being provided to the youth for starting their self employment under CM Punjab Employment Scheme and due share of loans had also been allocated for the women for their entrepreneurship.
She highlighted the role of agriculture in national economy and said that Punjab government had focused its attention on strengthening the agriculture sector through multi dimensional measures so as more than 70 percent population attached with this sector.
She hoped that the Day Care Center at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute would be very beneficial for the children of women staff and they could be able to perform their duties in research and laboratories comfortably. She announced that any institution could apply to the Punjab govt. for the establishment of Day Care Centres for their female staff.
Director General Agriculture (Research) Dr Abid Mehmood thanked the Minister for providing funds for the establishment of Day Care Center at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute and said that the married female staff would get benefits for the care of their children during duty hours through this valuable facility.