04 January 2004	Sunday	11 Ziqa'ad 1424

LAHORE, Jan 3: Punjab Special Education Minister Qudsia Lodhi has described the two per cent employment quota for the disabled as insufficient, stressing that it should be enhanced suitably.

Speaking at a reception hosted by District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood in the honour of the children of 49 educational institutions for special children at Gung Mahal in Gulberg on Saturday, the minister pointed out that all the disabled in the province could not get jobs under this quota, as their number exceeded 1.8 million according to the 1998 census.

She said the government was paying attention to the welfare of special children. "A separate ministry has been created for their education in the province for the first time in the history of the country."

Of Rs400 million allocation for special education, a sum of Rs150 million had been allocated for the training of teachers. The salaries of the teachers had also been doubled because of special nature of their job, she said.