Construction of Software Technology Park at PUCIT starts

LAHORE: The foundation stone laying ceremony of Software Technology Park (STP) at Punjab University College of Information Technology (PUCIT), New Campus, was held on Wednesday.

PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar was the chief guest of the event. A larger number of the college teachers and students were also present. The STP will be constructed through PUCIT funds and will house the offices of tech companies as well as an incubation centre, with the primary goal of enhancing PUCIT-industry linkages.

After the ceremony, PUCIT Principal Prof Dr Syed Mansoor Sarwar showed the VC round the GIS Centre, labs, lecturer theatres, daycare centre, prayer hall and library. The VC appreciated the provision of high-class facilities to students as well as a well the environment-friendly ecosystem in the college, including a large number of fruit trees.

The faculty members requested the VC to allow provision of a cafeteria and at least limited medical services to PUCIT, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), and Center of Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB).

The VC gave verbal approval for the provision of both facilities and directed Dr Sarwar to initiate the tendering process for the STP and a student service centre at PUCIT. open door policy: Punjab Chief Secretary Akbar Durrani on Wednesday visited different offices in Civil Secretariat and ordered implementation of open door policy in government departments.

He directed the officers to keep doors of their offices open for public to resolve their problems. He said instructions were issued to all departments and deputy commissioners to ensure implementation of open door policy, which was yielding positive results.

He ordered secretary law department to complete Urdu translation of laws as early as possible. He said hard work, honesty, transparency and merit would have to be promoted to improve functioning of government departments. Modern training including IT skills for government functionaries was imperative to meet modern challenges, said the secretary.

He said human resource played a pivotal role in progress of any institution and required results could not be obtained without capacity-building of employees. The chief secretary ordered additional secretary social welfare to ensure better sanitation and hygiene conditions in the canteen. He also visited daycare centre and distributed gifts among children.