PESHAWAR: The provincial higher education department would strengthen computer laboratories in the government universities and colleges by providing laptops to them, according to sources.

They said that the department had more than 900 laptops, leftover from a scheme of previous provincial government, which would be provided to the laboratories of colleges and universities.

The Naway Sahar Scheme of distributing free laptops among students, launched by the previous provincial government of Awami National Party, has been accomplished but the higher education department still has more than 900 laptops.

The department has prepared a summary about providing the leftover laptops to the laboratories of educational institutions that would be sent to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for approval soon, according to officials. They said that most of the leftover laptops would be provided to the government colleges, which were already short of computer laboratories.

“Those colleges, which have already received funds for establishing computer laboratories, will get comparatively less share in the distribution of laptops,” officials said.

The ANP-led provincial government had earmarked Rs1 billion in the budget 2012-13 for purchasing laptops to be distributed among students.

Officials said that the funds were spent on purchasing 23,147 laptops for the scheme.

“Out of the total laptops, 22,000 have already been distributed among the students having 70 per cent or above marks in their last semester examinations,” sources said.

According to the eligibility criteria, laptops were distributed among the students of four-year Bachelor of Studies (BS) programme and students of professional collages including medical and engineering.

Besides, laptops were also given to the top 10 position holders of government institutions in the intermediate examinations conducted by all boards of intermediate and secondary education of the province while 40 laptops handed over to Technical Board to distribute among the position holders in different examinations.

Similarly, disabled students were also provided with laptops.

The laptop scheme was formally launched by then chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on February10, 2013 at University of Peshawar during a ceremony by awarding 35 laptops to the position holders of public sector universities and colleges enrolled in four-year programme.

A teacher at a government college said that it would be beneficial for the students if laptops were provided to the computer laboratories. “The hours-long power outages often waste the precious time of students during demonstration in the computer laboratories,” he said.

“The colleges can neither afford electricity generators nor Uninterrupted Water Supply (UPS) for running the computers during the power outages,” the teacher said. In such a situation, he added, the students waited for hours or avoided practical demonstration.

The students would not be affected in the absence of electricity if laptops were provided to the colleges, the teacher said.