10 July 2004	Saturday	21 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 9: Free textbooks were distributed on Friday among the students of the city government's schools on the directives of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan.

The books were distributed through the nazim's advisor on education, Nasim Siddiqi, besides town and UC nazims and selected male and female councillors.

The main ceremony was held in North Nazimabad Town, where city nazim handed over the books to students of the Syed Ahmed Shaheed School. Speaking on the occasion, the city nazim said that 3 million textbooks would be distributed among 0.567 million children in the city.

He announced that the city government's schools would be kept open on July 10 also, to distribute books among those children, who could not get these on July 9. Mr Khan said the city government had been working for promotion of education since its inception, and it was for this reason that 31 per cent of its budget had been allocated for education, which was much higher than the allocations made in the national as well as provincial budgets.

He said the city government had established 22 new colleges during the last three years, whereas 10 more colleges would be opened this year, complete with computer laboratories.

The city nazim told the gathering that Rs133 million were being spent on provision of clean drinking water at the schools, toilets at girl schools, besides construction of boundary walls, under the Education Sector Reform Scheme.

He said that last year, computer labs were constructed in one secondary girls and one boys schools in each Town at a cost of Rs27.20 million, while this year eight computers would be provided to two secondary schools in each town, for which Rs11.2 million had been earmarked.

Mr Khan said concrete measures were being taken for universalization of education, for which Rs100 per girl, per month, scholarships worth Rs88.20 million had been provided for girls of class VI to VIII, while Rs80 million had been allocated for improvement of schools under the School Management Committees.

He said Rs65 million would be provided for free textbooks for children of nationalized schools. The ceremony was also addressed by DCO Mir Hussain Ali, Town Nazim Fasihuddin Siddiqi, Naib Town Nazim Maqsood Khan, UC Nazim Fayyaz, city nazim's advisor on Education, Nasim Siddiqi, and others.

SAFARI PARK: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan held a meeting to review development works at the Safari Park. It was decided at the meeting to fix Monday for women and children and entry of men would be prohibited on the day.

City Nazim ordered that security arrangements at the park be improved and area police should remain vigilant to take action against miscreants. Regarding provision of electricity to the park, Mr Khan said that the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation would be approached, while parking facility be also provided to the visitors.

The meeting decided that diplomats of various countries would be invited to the park to show them the development works. EDO Works Shoaib Siddiqi informed the meeting that at present there were 1,500 animals of various species in the park, which were growing under natural environment and were a source of recreation for the visitors.

The district officer for Zoo informed the meeting that Gulshan-i-Iqbal town' nazim had gifted 16 ostriches to the park, which were brought from Bahawalpur and Multan.

The DO, Civil Defence, said that 42 guards had been posted in the park. Dr Fayaz Alam told the meeting that arrangements had been completed for inauguration of a waterfall in the park on July 16. -APP