December 12, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 17, 1424

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HARIPUR, Dec 11: The NWFP Minister for Science and Technology, Hussain Khan Kanju, has said that 11 IT related projects would soon be launched in the province in the third and last phase to computerize official record.

He told a gathering here on Thursday that efforts were afoot to keep pace with the upcoming development in the field of science and IT.

Mr Kanju said that all the technical and skill development institutions, established under education department, were being annexed with the science and technology ministry.

He said the provincial government was aware of the emerging global trends and requirements, and was committed to accomplish the goal of desired progress in the IT sector.

The minister said that the NWFP government had decided to set up a virtual university at the provincial level in the near future.

He said all the provincial secretariats and five selected districts were being computerized initially, which would follow arm licensing and domiciles in the second phase.

About meagre resources of the province, the minister held the central government responsible of the present crisis, adding that since the province was not being financed under the NFC award, the MMA’s government was compelled to run its financial affairs on borrowings from banks.

Under the AGN Kazi formula, he said, the NWFP had the right to claim Rs17 billion from the net hydel power profit, but regretted that the federal government had capped it at Rs6 billion only.