25 April 2004	Sunday	04 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, April 24: The Punjab government has decided to let the Comsats IT Institute continue operating under the control of the federal government.

The federal government will, however, pay around Rs450 million to the Punjab government as price of institute's land and building at Raiwind Road.

This was stated by Punjab information technology minister Abdul Aleem Khan while talking to reporters after a ceremony at the Fatima Jinnah Medical College for distribution of medicines donated by a pharmaceutical company.

The federal government had earlier asked the Punjab government to take over the institute and establish a full-fledged IT university. However, the Punjab government delayed the matter while its education and IT departments entered into an argument as to who would establish the IT university.

When the Punjab government decided that the IT department would establish the IT university after a discussion spanning several months, the federal government said it had withdrawn its offer.

Though the Punjab chief minister wrote a letter to the prime minister for resolving the matter, it was finally decided that the federal government would continue to control the institute.

Answering a question, Mr Khan said the decision was taken in view of the fact that the institute was operating at full strength. He said some 1,500 students were currently studying at the institute.

Answering a question whether Punjab government's IT University project had been shelved, the IT minister said as soon as the federal government paid the land and building price, the Punjab government would initiate the project.

About computerization of land record, he said the model project initiated in Lahore and Sialkot would be completed during the next financial year.

Answering a question about computerized number plates of vehicles, he said the department was working to finalize the project soon. He said the IT department had called tenders for computerized number plates, which would have seven layers and could not be tampered with. He said these number plates would enable the Punjab government to track any vehicle in the country.

He said the IT department had also decided to establish computer labs at government high schools to ensure that under-privileged children could also benefit from information technology. He said the project had initially been launched as a pilot project in Lahore.

Earlier, speaking at the ceremony, the IT minister said the initiative of a national pharmaceutical company to donate medicines worth Rs2 million to city hospitals, should be emulated by other companies as well as philanthropists.

He said the chief minister was taking personal interest in the improvement of education and health sectors.

Responding to doctors and nurses' demand for a raise, Mr Khan said he would support health minister and parliamentary secretary's recommendations to the government for enhancing salaries in the next financial year.

Punjab parliamentary health secretary Dr Farzana Nazir told reporters after the ceremony that the government would suspend those principals of autonomous medical and health institutions who failed to complete the arrangements for re-introduction of institutional private practice from July 1.

Answering the question why no infrastructure had been developed during the past 10 months, she said whatever the case, the health department would take action against those principals who failed to comply with the instructions. She said that funds had been provided to the institutions well in time.