Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday terming children the ‘future builders of the nation’ said the government would provide maximum educational facilities to them.
Addressing the launch of mobile schools under the project ‘School on wheels’, he said the step would increase the literacy rate in the country, particularly in the rural areas.
In the first phase, the mobile schools consisting of eight buses will provide primary-level education to the children of Islamabad and adjoining areas.
The buses have been equipped with computers, desks, whiteboards, and LCDs, to create an effective teaching and learning environment.
Shehbaz Sharif said the government would increase the number of buses and expand the project to the rest of the country and Azad Kashmir.
He expressed satisfaction that the project would mainstream the children in rural areas who faced the unavailability of modern educational facilities.
Also, he said, the mobile library would promote a reading culture among the children.
He said education was a vital factor to make a society developed and cultured.The prime minister on the occasion interacted with the schoolchildren and encouraged them to take interest in learning.
Earlier, the prime minister launched the countrywide Spring plantation campaign by planting a sapling.
He urged civil society and the general public to participate in the plantation drive to save future generations.
He pointed out that cities were transforming into concrete jungles and the environment needed urgent rectification through the plantation of trees.
Monday, under the austerity drive declared by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif amid a financial crunch, a monitoring committee for the implementation of measures is set to put forward the recommendations before the premier for the withdrawal of official vehicles under use by the heads of parliamentary committees, including the Public Accounts and standing committees.
The committee in its meeting also directed the Cabinet Division to issue a notification for the measures approved by the federal cabinet, however, no such notification was promulgated.
One federal minister in the huddle also suggested conducting the meetings of the Senate and National Assembly standing committees online via Zoom as substantial money is spent to hold theme in person.
After a detailed discussion, it was decided that the recommendations would be put forward before the premier for his approval.
The minister said that the expenditure incurred on different heads/chairpersons of standing committees should also be withdrawn.
An official statement issued by the Ministry of Finance stated that Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar chaired the first meeting of the committee to oversee the implementation of austerity measures at the Finance Division on Monday.
Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Advisor the PM on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit- Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance Tariq Bajwa, federal secretaries and senior officers attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of the cabinet decisions on austerity measures. The finance secretary gave a presentation. It was informed that ministries/divisions are already working on these measures and instructions have been issued for immediate compliance and reporting of any exemption and violation of the decisions.
The committee directed all principal accounting officers to implement a 15% cut in their current budgets. It was decided that the use of teleconferences must be encouraged for all meetings to save time and expenditure.
The committee conveyed that the decision to withdraw the use of luxury vehicles by the cabinet members and government officials be implemented with no exemption in any case.
The finance minister, while highlighting the challenging economic situation in the country, stressed all the concerned to ensure and expedite the implementation of austerity measures with sincerity and devotion in their ranks without any exception.
