ISLAMABAD, Nov 18: The government intends to set up 105 polytechnic institutes in addition to the existing ones in the country with a capital cost of Rs7.7 billion ($130 million), said Education Minister Zobaida Jalal here on Tuesday.

“The education ministry has prepared and processed concept papers with the Planning Commission to establish the additional polytechnic institutes,” she said while talking to a students’ delegation from Sindh and Balochistan.

Ms Jalal said a concept clearance committee had already approved the papers with the directives that consent for loan acceptance should also be sought from the provinces.

The minister said at present 78 polytechnics/mono- technics/colleges of technology were imparting education to the population in the age group of 16 and above to create employment opportunities for the youth.

The minister told the delegation that after every two months, the inter-provincial education ministers’ meeting was convened to monitor the development activities in the country and promote national integration through education.

She said the government had decided that future plans should include provision of at least one quality polytechnic institute at every district headquarters. Similar institutes would also be set up in phases at the tehsil level, she added.

“It will be ensured that all the existing schools provided vocational training to students,” she said, adding that the government accorded high priority to technical education.

The minister said the possibility of funding for the project was being explored from the donor agencies, like Islamic Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

She said a sum of Rs300 million had been allocated for technical education under the Public Sector Development Programme 2003-04. Still, she added, the ministry sought more funds from national resources as well as international donor agencies to promote technical education.