ISLAMABAD, June 6: The federal education ministry has been allocated Rs4.520 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2005-2006 with an overall increase of 122 per cent over current year’s allocation of Rs2.029 billion, the budget document reveals.

The money will be spent on 59 ongoing and 18 new projects, the document notes.

A large part of this allocation – Rs1 billion – will again go into the ongoing madressah reforms project, which had been started during the fiscal year 2002-03 with an estimated cost of Rs5.75 billion.

Other major ongoing projects include Education for All (EFA) and establishment of polytechnic institutes at the district level, each having an allocation of Rs300 million. Establishment of 82,000 community schools in four provinces, AJK and Fata, and introduction of technical stream, both costing Rs250 million and Rs200 million, respectively, are other major schemes.

Likewise, adult literacy programme, quality assurance and revamping of science education at the secondary level have been allocated Rs100 million each.

The ongoing projects also include science education project with an allocation of Rs74 million, upgradation of F.G. elementary educational institution to the level of Islamabad model colleges (Rs72 million), establishment of cadet college Zhob, Balochistan, (Rs72 million), establishment of cadet college Ghotki, Sindh, (Rs95 million), establishment of cadet college, Pasrur (Rs75 million), establishment of cadet college, Okara, (Rs75 million), establishment of cadet college, Muzaffarabad, (Rs50 million) and establishment of cadet college, Jaffarabad, (Rs75 million).

Under the PSDP 2005-2006 for education ministry, money has also been set aside for 18 new projects. Debt swap-II for education in NWFP tops the list among the new projects with an allocation of Rs183 million.

Another major project called national educational census has been provided Rs150 million.

Under the project, the government plans to collect comprehensive data on all types of educational institutions, of both formal and professional categories.

The government has also earmarked Rs18 million to award 100 scholarships to students from the Indian Held Kashmir.

Other new projects include establishment of boys degree college, Puran, NWFP, at a cost of Rs40 million, establishment of girls degree college, Alpuri, NWFP, at a cost of Rs33.34 million, renovation of 27 existing F.G. secondary/ higher secondary schools by adding new classrooms, halls in rural and urban areas of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), at a cost of Rs54 million.