May 10, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 22, 1428

SWABI, May 9: The federal government would spend Rs160 million for provision of facilities in the public-sector educational institutions of Swabi and D.I. Khan districts, said provincial education minister Maulana Fazal Ali while briefing journalists about the project here on Wednesday.

He said that when the federal government expressed its desire for provision of facilities in the NWFP schools, the provincial government put forward names of two backward districts — Swabi and D. I. Khan. He said that a survey has been carried out involving 46 primary and 23 middle schools in Swabi district.

Schools were identified where an intense need was felt by education managers and project executors. However, he declined to give the number of such schools in D.I. Khan.

Under the project, he said, one to four classrooms would be constructed and before the construction needs and requirements of the institutions would be kept in mind. The construction would be carried out according to education requirements and the problem of overcrowded would no longer exists after completion of the project, he said.

The provision of other facilities, the minister said included: construction of bathrooms, boundary walls, power supply and provision of potable water for the schoolchildren. These were some long standing problems of some schools in Swabi district.

Schools in Swabi district, he said, would also get computers, which aimed to introduce the computer education at lower classes.