KARACHI, March 27: Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, has said that a large project of Rs1.3 billion has been approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) to revamp the entire Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).
This he stated while speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of the national workshop on rubber technology at a local hotel on Thursday.
He pointed out that the project was submitted during his tenure as federal minister for science and technology.
Prof Atta was optimistic that the final approval to the project would be granted in the next couple of weeks. He pointed out that another project of over Rs300 million had also been approved for the PCSIR.
The former federal minister said that he had only agreed to take up the ministerial assignment after the government had agreed to provide fullest backing to science and technology.
He stated that this was effected with a huge increase in the budget for science and technology which was Rs120 million only when he took over as the minister to Rs7.1 billion- a 6,000 per cent increase in the budget for science and technology “which is unprecedented in the history of the country”.
Prof Atta was of the view that a real beginning had now been made towards the economic development of the country.
He said that there was a need to understand the key role of knowledge in the economic development; unless there was a strong base of industrial research the countries could not progress.
Prof Atta stressed that we should move into the technology area as well as the value added area- pharmaceutical, engineering, biotechnology and IT areas.
He said that the synthetics and the rubber technologies were also very important.
He also highlighted the significance of industrial association and demand-driven research.
In his welcome address, chairman of PCSIR Dr Anwar-ul-Haq apprised of the current situation in the PCSIR.
He said 18 projects worth Rs650 million had been approved by the federal government during the last two and a half years. Out of those, six had been accomplished and four would be completed during this fiscal year. He said the rubber and plastic technology had played a very significant role in innovative use of faster and safer communication and cost-effective light and stiff material with the capability to withstand extreme environmental conditions.
Engr Mauro Belloni of Italy was also present at the inaugural session of the workshop. Syed Naeem Mahmood of the PCSIR Karachi presented the vote of thanks on the occasion.
He pointed out that the PSCIR was set up in March 1953 and the workshop was part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the organization.
IRAQ SITUATION: Prof Atta-ur-Rehman during his speech termed the Iraq situation a very serious one.
He said it was a very serious situation where one or two countries, simply on the basis of their might, decided to violate international norms.—APP
