November 28, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 29, 1429

PESHAWAR, Nov 27: The NWFP Social Welfare and Women Development Department has planned to set up schools for physically challenged children in the province through public-private partnership.

The provincial government decided to carry out the scheme on experimental basis involving private sector in the construction, management, control and supervision of social welfare and special education institutions in NWFP, official sources said.

The department has decided to set up provincial and district steering committees for the purpose under its ‘Public Private Partnership (PPP)’ policy.

Under the policy the provincial government has planned to establish schools all over the province for special children through public-private partnership to expand social welfare cover to all the 24 districts of the province. The scheme is included in the Annual Development Plan of the current year.

The committees would identify areas of intervention in legal and policy framework for improvement, management, construction and repair of schools. The provincial government had empowered those committees to resolve any issue and take a final decision on any matter of disagreement between the public and private partners, official said.

The provincial government adopted the public-private partnership policy to ensure quality, funding and fast-track coverage in the delivery of social welfare services to the vulnerable target groups, official said.

The provincial government adopted the policy after realising the fact that huge salaried expenditure, stereo-type management, restricted attitude for change and lack of innovation in the public sector resulted in unimpressive, uneven and insignificant trickle down effect in benefits rendered by the social welfare institutions.

With 460,000 physically challenged persons in the province, the present network of social welfare and special education was not enough and about nine districts of the province were yet to be brought into the ambit of social welfare services, official said.

In an effort to encourage the private sector, the provincial government would involve all non-governmental organisations registered with the social welfare and women development department under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Ordinance 1961.