GUJRAT: The provincial government has finally released the special health allowance for the doctors of Gujrat district after nine months of the announcement of this package.

Officials of the health department said the allowance had been clogged by the accounts department since July last year.

Earlier, Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa had directed the authorities in health and accounts departments to clear the concerns of the doctors regarding the health allowance.

The doctors would also be paid the previous amount regarding the allowance which they could not get.

The Gujrat chief executive officer (CEO) of health authority told the reporters that the doctors’ health allowance had been released on an urgent basis and they would receive it with the salary of March. He said the accounts office had released the amount.

BOOK FAIR: The third annual book fair ended at the University of Gujrat (UoG) Hafiz Hayat Campus on Tuesday where students were urged to read books as a regular habit to enhance their knowledge for bringing a positive change in society.

About 40 publishers, booksellers and distributors from all over the country participated in the two-day fair.

Thousands of books on a vast range of subjects were displayed to attract book lovers. UoG Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum, addressing participants of the closing ceremony, said: “A book is the basic source of knowledge and its importance can’t be neglected. Modern technology has changed the form of book and introduced it with new features. We can educate young students better and attract them towards reading.”

He urged the students to put down their mobile phones and pick up books if they wanted to excel in their careers. Dr Qayyum encouraged publishers, booksellers and distributers, promising to provide them more facilities.

The closing ceremony was attended by a large number of book lovers, teachers, students, members of civil society, intellectuals as well as the media.

On the first day on Monday, intellectuals and scholars meeting on the sidelines of the event urged the youth to develop reading as a habit.

The two-day UoG Book Fair 2017 was inaugurated by educationist and scholar Dr Qasim Bughio, who is also chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, along with UoG Registrar Dr Tahir Aqil.

“Reading is one of the most effective sources of intellectual and social enlightenment. Pakistan Academy of Letters is ready to extend all possible cooperation to support the UoG in carrying its mission forward,” Dr Bughio said.

Dr Aqil said book reading had a significant role in building characters of students.

Meanwhile, the university also organised various debate sessions on a host of topics on the sidelines of the book fair.

Two sessions each were held on both days. Dr Bughio presided over the first session which was about ‘Rebuilding of society and the role of book reading’. The proceedings were moderated by Media Director Sheikh Abdul Rashid. The experts included Chief Librarian Syed Ghulam Kazim Ali, Prof Dr Mushahid Anwar and Dr Ghulam Ali.

‘Modern publishing and the role of libraries’ was the topic of the second session which was presided over by Information Technology University Chief Librarian Dr Muhammad Ramzan. UoG Student Services Centre Director Muhammad Yaqoob moderated the proceedings.

National Library of Pakistan Director General Syed Ghayyur Hussain and Chief Librarian Syed Kazim were among the speakers.

A session on books and the role of media was held on the second day. The last session was on the role of books in a changing world. This session was presided over by Dean Dr Fareeshullah Yousafzai, moderated by Rukhsana Riaz with Dr Javaid Haider Syed and Zahid Bilal as the debaters.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2017