Mahtab inaugurates new campus of NCEG

PESHAWAR: Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan Thursday inaugurated new campus of the National Centre of Excellence in Geology (NCEG), University of Peshawar.
The campus is comprised of modern laboratories, classrooms and three separate hostels for male, female students and staff members.
The governor visited various laboratories and examined the facilities available for research students. He was also accompanied by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan. Director NCEG Prof Dr Tahir Shah briefed the participants on the occasion.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the governor said that natural resources were the backbone for a country’s constant economic growth. He added that the country, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and federally administered tribal areas (Fata), were blessed with the best natural resources but the resources had not been properly utilized.
Sardar Mahtab said the government was making efforts to attract investors for exploration and utilisation of the resources. He said the NCEG was one of the best centres of the country and its experts need to come forward and extend technical support to exploration projects.
Later, the governor told the media that the long-awaited Fata University would be inaugurated soon. He said that strong educational institutions could bring real change in the country by producing best graduates and scientists. UoP Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Rasul Jan stressed the need for a strong industry-academia liaison for practical manifestation of researches conducted in the universities.
Dr Tahir Shah said the NCEG was established in 1976 under an act of parliament. About the new campus, he said that 44 kanals land was acquired and funds amounting to Rs334 million were provided by the Higher Education Commission for the civil work.
He said the new building had been completed in eight long years. The official said an additional amount of Rs259 million was allocated for laboratory equipment and Rs200 million for strengthening the human resource.
He said that so far 17 scholars had completed Ph.D under a project from technologically advanced countries.