ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: The minister of science and technology has said that there should be no delay in the ongoing projects launched by his ministry due to the loss of records in the Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat fire which erupted on Januray 15.

Prof (Dr) Attaur Rehman issued this directive at a meeting, which discussed and finalized a plan to collect the lost record, here on Thursday, says a press release of the ministry.

He instructed the ministry that no delays should be caused in the ongoing projects due to loss of the record the release said.

The minister was informed that the entire record of S&TR Division had been burnt in the fire.

Besides, computers fax machines and other equipment were also destroyed and letters were being sent to all the ministries, divisions of the federal and provincial governments and MoST organizations with the request that copies of all correspondence made with the S&TR Division should be provided to the ministry on priority basis so that files were reconstructed.

The S&TR Division has been shifted to Evacuee Trust Complex and has started work. He instructed that in future every important document/letter will be scanned and electronic copies would be kept at separate places.

He asked the concerned officers to immediately submit proposals for the purchase of all necessary equipments. “The officials will have to work on war footing to avoid delays in implementation of projects”, said the minister.

It was pointed out that more important among the imminent problems are the ones arising out of the forthcoming COMSTECH General Assembly meeting which is to be held from February 16 to February 18, 2002.

Science and technology ministers from 57 Islamic countries have been invited to participate in the meeting. The minister decided that meeting will not be postpone.

He convened a meeting to review any hurdles/problems created due to destruction of record which may hamper the convening of conference. A thorough review of the situation will be made to decide the steps to be taken to counter the situation.

It has also been decided that as the entire record has been destroyed some human resource development schemes, scholarship schemes will be immediately re-advertised.