PHOTO: FILE
This includes the establishment of new educational institutions and for upgrading existing ones.
According to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21 documents read by The Express Tribune, funds worth Rs4.22 billion have been approved for 22 ongoing and new projects.
This includes Rs200 million for the establishment of a National Centre for Nano Sciences and Nano Technology. Another Rs320 million have been allocated for building the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
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The government has also reserved a sum of Rs150.8 million for the establishment of the Pak-UK Knowledge Gateway and Rs 350 million for the National Centre for Industrial Bio-Technology.
Elsewhere in the federal capital, the government plans to approve Rs340 million for four new projects.
This includes upgrading the Islamabad Model College for Girls in Bara Kahu for Rs100 million.
Other projects include hiring subject specialists for Rs60 million while a sum of Rs 30 million has been allocated for the Education Voucher Scheme under the Out-of-School Children Programme.
The government will also allocate Rs150 million for technical and vocational education and training.
Education in other provinces
Apart from projects in the federal capital, the federal government has allocated money for new and existing projects in other provinces and territories, particularly Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (K-P) where it has allocated Rs1.057 billion.
Among the projects approved for K-P include Rs250 million for setting up the University of Buner, Rs250 million have been set aside for upgrading the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Rs200 million for the University of Chitral, Rs7 million for conducting a feasibility study to build a campus of the FATA university in Waziristan, Rs50 million for hiring faculty for the University of Swabi (UOS) and Rs300 million have been set aside for building a campus of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) in Abbottabad.
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In Balochistan, the federal government has earmarked Rs200 million for the University of Agriculture in Lasbela and Rs50 million was reserved for the University of Turbat.
Other projects include the opening of four new departments at the Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), earmarking Rs 200 million for this purpose.
For Sindh, the government has reserved Rs350.2 million for setting up a Molecular Genetics Centre at the Dow University of Health and Sciences in Karachi, Rs170 million for setting up a new campus of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Sukkur in Mirpurkhas, Rs150 million for setting up a water institute at the NED University in Karachi, Rs100 million for the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUE) in Jamshoro, and Rs200 million for the Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) in Karachi.
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In Punjab, the government has allocated Rs250 million for building a new campus for the Government College Women University of Faisalabad ((GCWUF) and Rs140.5 million for faculty at the Government Sadiq College Women University (GSCWU) in Bahawalpur.
It has also allocated Rs170.7 million for the Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) Palandri Campus and Rs460.5 million for the smart-university transformation project under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2020.
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