Public safety: Relocate schools from unfit buildings, Education Dept told

CM asks education minister to visit these schools and submit a report on them

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the officials concerned to immediately relocate schools operating in dangerous buildings, including those affected by the October 26 earthquake. 

He was presiding over a meeting to review measures taken to improve the quality of school education in the province.

He asked the education minister to visit such schools and ensure that they were relocated to safe buildings.  The chief minister said repair and reconstruction of unfit buildings should be completed without any delay.

He said Rs8.5 billion had been set aside in the budget for the purpose. He said to ensure transparent use of funds third-party audits should be ordered for repair and reconstruction work.

Sharif expressed displeasure over the delay in installation of solar panels in schools. He directed the officials concerned to accelerate work on the project and submit a progress report after three months.

The chief minister sought timely provision of missing facilities in schools. He said Rs5 billion had been allocated in the budget for the purpose.

Sharif directed the Punjab Information Technology Board to devise a plan for extending a smart school system pilot project to selected southern and northern districts of the province.

Earlier, Schools Education Secretary briefed the meeting about promotion of quality education, teachers’ training, and progress son repair of dilapidated school buildings.

DOs get till Dec 31 to complete registration of industrial units

Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar on Tuesday gave district officers (DOs) till December 31 to complete online registration of industrial units in their areas.

He was presiding over a meeting of Labour DOs.

The DOs were asked to transfer inspection reports in real time to a centerlised database and to acquire stability certificates of industrial units by the December deadline.

Sarwar also urged the DOs to expedite work on a school enrolment campaign for children of brick kilns workers.

He directed the IRI director to arrange training for Labour DOs in the use of information technology so that they could easily transfer inspection reports to the centralised database. The Labour Headquarters director was asked to arrange staff, equipment and transport for the field officers.

Earlier, Sarwar said the provincial government was introducing a Punjab Restriction of Employment of Children Act to help bring labour laws closer to the International Labour Organisation conventions. He said stricter penalties were proposed in the bill for businesses caught employing children.

Labour Secretary Ali Sarfraz said stressed the importance of timely completion of factory inspections and asked the field staff to make the reports available online.

Labour DG Muhammad Salim Hussain, Headquarters Director Daud Abdullah and IRI Director Tahir Naeem were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2015.