‘School enrolment of every child to be ensured by 2018’

LAHORE
PROVINCIAL Minister for Law, Excise & Taxation and Finance Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said the private educational institutions are playing a pivotal role in providing quality education and the government highly appreciates the services of private sector for the enhancement of literacy rate. He said the Punjab School Reforms Roadmap was yielding positive results for the uplift of education sector and enrolment of every child of the province would be ensured by the end of 2018.
Talking to a delegation of Pakistan Private Schools Management Association, Mujtaba said the budget allocated for education was Rs. 274 billion which was 26.25 percent of total expenditures. He said the improvement of higher education was a priority of government and Rs.14.5 billion had been provided for the developmental work of the higher education. He said the new targets had been set under Punjab School Reforms Roadmap and the 18-point new roadmap would have to be implemented in letter and spirit for achieving all these targets till 2018.
He said the scholarships of 12 billion rupees were being provided to more than 50,000 students within the country and abroad from the Endowment Fund and students of private education institutions were also benefiting from this fund. He said that Rs. 3.63 billion had been provided for distribution of free of cost textbooks to students. He said the IT labs had been set up in more than 5,000 high schools and 515 middle schools. He said that Rs.2.40 billion had been provided for provision of non-formal basic education to 20 lakh illiterate people.
Women’s rights: Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said the Punjab government is ensuring provision of facilities, incentives, equal salaries and protection of women rights through representation of women workers in the trade unions. He said the government had enhanced quota for women in jobs from five percent to 15 percent whereas safe accommodations, food, legal, medical aid and vocational training were being provided to women subjected to violence regularly. He said the government would provide equal rights and facilities besides enhancing quota for jobs for the disabled women workers in public and private institutions and industrial units.
He said this while talking to a delegation led by President Fazal Wahid and General Secretary Aima Mehmood of All Pakistan Trade Union Federation on Wednesday. DG Labour Welfare Muhammad Saleem Hussain, District Officer Labour Lahore Syed Hasnaat Javed, Director Project Abdullah, Director Social Security Rana Muhammad Hanif and other officers concerned were also present.
Raja Ashfaq Sarwar was apprised of the problems being faced by women workers and labourers. He said the minimum wages of contract employees of Railway Workshop Raiwind Road and the pending matters of provision of social security facilities would soon be resolved through Labour Officer Railway. He said that vigorous steps were being taken for resolution of problems like factory inspection, issuance of social security cards to senior trade leaders, shops in labour housing schemes, provision of residences to employees of trade centres, facilities to women workers of agriculture sector, easy access to information for creating awareness through website of Labour Department, quota in jobs for disabled women and strict implementation of labour laws in various institutions.
The minister also ordered calling explanation of Director Information Technology on showing negligence for not updating the data on website of social security institution. General Secretary Aima Mehmood appreciated the efforts of Punjab government for protecting women rights and eliminating their exploitation. Raja Ashfaq Sarwar expressed the hope that trade union leaders would identify their problems and guide the Punjab government for resolution.