January 31, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 1, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 30: Federal Minister for Education Javed Ashraf Qazi on Monday said the overall responsibility and coordination for repair and reconstruction of damaged or destroyed schools and colleges in the quake-hit areas had been assigned to the Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra).

In a written reply to a question of MMA MNA Shabbir Ahmed Khan, the minister said that Erra had taken several measures for immediate repair and reconstruction of school, college and university buildings in the affected areas.

Mr Qazi said that the existing designs of school and college buildings had been obtained by Erra from NWFP and Azad Kashmir governments. He said these designs had been modified to seismic design and their approval was being sought.

The minister said that repair and reconstruction of partially damaged school and college buildings would start in April this year, while reconstruction of destroyed buildings would begin in June this year subject to the approval of seismic designs.

Giving details, Mr Qazi said, 3,794 school and college buildings had been destroyed in Azad Kashmir and 2,159 in the NWFP. Similarly, he said, the number of damaged buildings in Azad Kashmir was 568 and 3,183 in the NWFP. The minister said two university buildings in NWFP and one in Azad Kashmir had also been destroyed in the October 8 quake.

In another written reply to a question of MMA MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, the minister said the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had launched a drive against illegal universities and institutions due to which a number of such universities had either closed their operations or had got affiliation with public sector institutions.

The minister said that so far 52 illegal universities and institutions had been identified in the country. Giving province- wise break-up, the minister said that 41 illegal institutions were functional in Punjab, seven in NWFP and two each in Islamabad and Azad Kashmir.

Mr Qazi said the HEC recognized the degrees awarded by chartered universities/institutions in public and private sectors. At the moment, he said, there were 115 universities/degree-awarding institutions in the country — 58 in public sector and 57 in private sector.