Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said that the aim of the Smart Village project under the government's Digital Pakistan vision is to digitally connect remote and rural areas via internet, so that the quality of life of people improves and it becomes easier to resolve their daily issues including the ones pertaining to health and education.
There is no shortage of talent and skills among the young population of Pakistan, but there is a need to highlight their talents. The Smart Village project will play a significant role in bringing forward the talented youth and solving the daily problems of residents of the area.
She stated this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Asia's first Smart Village project in the village of Roras, Sialkot. Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the pilot project had been launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Huawei, Bedari NGO and Tele-Education at Roras village, Sambrial tehsil, 15km from Sialkot.
She said that the project would be completed in six months and 100 girls and boys would be taught business and computer skill courses at the Digital Village Centre, which would also provide employment opportunities and was part of Pakistan's Smart Village project.
The state IT minister said that Pakistan was the first country in the Asia-Pacific where e-village facilities were being provided. "Our commitment is to connect the people living in villages and remote areas to the digital world."
She said that the provision of digital facilities related to health and education in Roras was the first step. "It is a good sign that a modern computer lab and virtual education is going to be provided in the secondary school for girls in Roras village."
She said that in view of the difficulties in providing medical facilities, digital medical consultancy was being offered.
The initiatives of the ITU, Huawei Pakistan, Tele-Education, Bedari NGO and the Department of Education were commendable. Similar Smart Village projects would be launched soon in all provinces, she announced.
ITU Regional Director Atsuko Okuda said, "The Smart Village Pakistan initiative promotes a complete government approach to bring the benefits of digital transformation in sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture to rural and remote communities."
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ