ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: The federal information ministry in collaboration with the provincial governments will set up 1,100 state of the art computer laboratories at the cost of Rs1.8 billion at school and intermediate college levels in the coming three years.

Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said this at the inaugural ceremony of a computer laboratory at Federal Government College for Women, F- 7/4 here on Tuesday.

The minister said the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) had approved a mega project in a recently held meeting, therefore, the ministry was all set to establish computer labs at 1,100 government schools and colleges in all the four provinces including the AJK.

"The computer lab set up at the Margalla College is part of the project launched by the ministry for setting up computer labs at 15 schools and 10 colleges in the federal college, which have already been established at a cost of Rs39 million," he said.

Under the project, 2,200 IT teachers and lab in charges would be provided to 1,100 schools and colleges for imparting education at the levels of class IX to XII, Awais Leghari said.

The minister said a mega project titled "IT/computer science teachers, lab in charges and computer labs" had been approved by the Ecnec, the cost of which would be shared by the federal government and provinces on 50:50 basis.

He said since at least 67 per cent schools would be selected from rural areas, hence the project will help minimize the digital divide. The project will also help to develop a large pool of IT professionals to take part in development process and earn foreign exchange for the country.

He said the project would serve to strengthen the government institutions to ensure affordability as well as to provide adequate environment and proper quality of IT education.

He said, the ministry had also set up a research and development fund worth Rs1 billion in the PTCL under which funding would be available for research projects involving the faculty and students. He also invited the faculty and students to submit their research proposals to this fund and promised full funding if they met the selection criteria.

He stressed interaction between educational institutions and IT industry for the initiation of more IT projects. He said Pakistan Software and Export Board should play a mediatory role in this regard. Earlier, the minister inaugurated the computer lab. Director- General Education Maqsoodul Hassan was also present on the occasion.