ISLAMABAD, June 10: An amount of Rs1 billion has been earmarked in the federal budget 2003-04 under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for women development, social welfare and special education.

The entire PSDP expenditure for the purpose will be met through local resources.

The women development ministry will spend the amount on as many as 31 projects, including 17 ongoing and 14 new ones.

Tawana Pakistan programme, under which girl students of about 29 under-developed districts were provided lunch during school time, received the highest allocation of Rs700 million.

The project was started in 2002-03 with an estimated cost of Rs3.6 billion, and during the financial year 2003, Rs1.29 billion was spent.

The second major on-going project, Normal Women Development Programme, has received an allocation of Rs110 million. Similarly, Rs18 million has been fixed for the third major project of developing a park exclusively for special persons in the capital.

Other main on-going projects include National Institute of Special Education, H-8/4, Islamabad; National Training Centre for Special Person G-9/2, Islamabad; Housing Colony for Teachers and Staff of DGSE, I-9/4, Islamabad; National Library and Resource Centre F-7, Islamabad and Construction of Special Education Centre at Gilgit, with an allocation of Rs15 million each.

Transport support scheme for special education centres is another significant project with an allocation of Rs14 million. In addition to this, Rs10 million each has been fixed for establishment of residential centres for care and rehabilitation of disabled persons at provincial headquarters, and establishment of vocational training institute for persons with disabilities.

For fiscal incentives, technical assistance and other measures for growth of NGOs in underdeveloped areas, Rs6 million has been reserved.

Pilot project for integrated education of children with disabilities and grant for self help projects have been allocated Rs5 million and Rs4 million respectively.

Most of the new 14 projects to be undertaken under the PSDP 2003-04 are focused on welfare of special persons.

Conversion of five special education centres into centres of excellence (Phase-1) and construction of a rehabilitation centre at Hunza, Gilgit, with an estimated cost of Rs22.5 million and Rs22.4 million, respectively, are at the top of the list under PSDP 2003-04 with an allocation of Rs10 million.

An amount of Rs8.3 million has been reserved for Women Welfare and Development Centre, Salai Markaz, Islamabad. Setting up of special education centres at Okara, Kohat, Sibbi and Hyderabad are also among the new schemes at the cost of Rs5 million each.

Survey of the facilities and services for persons with Disabilities, and Design manuals and model projects for building and facilities for special persons have been allocated Rs6 million and Rs4 million, respectively.