Govt committed to providing job opportunities to youth: minister

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services, Murad Saeed, has said that present government is committed to providing job opportunities to the youth. We are to utilise all the available resources in the best possible way for national development. As per Prime Minister’s directive, pragmatic steps are underway to generate employment chances in all the ministries.

In line with Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Programme, he was addressing a prestigious ceremony regarding Youth Internship Programme undertaken by the National Highway Authority (NHA). The ceremony was arranged at National Highways and Motorways Police headquarters here today.

Federal Secretary Communications Jawwad Rafique Malik, NHA Chairman Capt (R) Sikandar Qayyum, Inspector General National Highways and Motorways Police Allah Dino Khawaja, Senior officers from Ministry of Communications, National Highway Authority, National Highways and Motorway Police and a large number of students participated.

The Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services, Murad Saeed, said that National Highway Authority has successfully maintained its ISO certification due to commendable performance. The NHA’s revenue is enhancing gradually. To date NHA’s revenue has increased at rate of Rs5 crore 95 lac per day. Our endeavor, he said, is to make the NHA financially self-reliant through generating more financial resources. This will enable the NHA to build roads from their own resources that will ultimately reduce load on national exchequer. He stressed upon the need of building roads leading to tourist resorts. He said we have travelled from terrorism to tourism.

Speaking about projects on public private partnerships basis, he said, Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway project will be undertaken this year. He said the NHA has undertaken the Youth Internship Programme, and the consultants and construction firms working with the NHA are made bound to provide employment to the internees of NHA. Likewise, the federal minister said, job opportunities are being generated in Pakistan Post and the programme is to set up 125,000 franchise post offices in the country.

Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Programme is a significant programme of the present government under which humane steps like Kamyab Nojawan, Shelter Homes, Langar Khanas, Sehat Insaf Card are being undertaken, which is a step forward towards establishment of a welfare state.

Throwing light on the NHA’s Youth Internship Programme, NHA’s Member Administration Capt (R) Mushtaq Ahmed said, this initiative was taken in January this year. This programme is divided into Paid and Non Paid Internship on first come, first serve basis. Presently 600 students are doing internship in the NHA. He further said, under paid Programme, 4,500 applications have been received. Rs20,000 per month will be given to degree holder internees, while Rs10,000 will be given to the diploma holders.

On this occasion, Aqsa Tariq an internee expressing views appreciated the initiative of NHA. She desired such programmes in other departments throughout the country. Certificates were also awarded to internees who completed their internship in the NHA.