PESHAWAR, Jan 30: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah on Wednesday ordered opening of a second campus of the NWFP University of Engineering & Technology at SCARP Colony in Mardan from Feb 15.

The governor also sanctioned a grant of Rs5 million for this purpose. It may be mentioned here that a sum of Rs40 million is already in possession of the university for the second campus.

The decision to this effect was announced at a meeting held at Governor House here. Provincial Minister for Education Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gillani, Secretary Education, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Engineering & Technology and other high-ranking officers were also present on this occasion.

It may be mentioned here that the SCARP Colony in Mardan is spread over an area of 22.23 acres. There is a lot of accommodation available for laboratories, classrooms and married accommodation. In the proposed campus, thirty per cent seats will be on merit and seventy per cent on self-financed basis. The proposal has been approved for an initial intake of 50 students in each discipline.

Speaking on the occasion, the governor said that work on the project should be expedited so that the second campus could be inaugurated on 15th of next month.

He directed that initially classes of four disciplines be started. These disciplines are meteorological, industrial & manufacturing, telecommunication and computer engineering.

He said the provincial government would look into the possibility of meeting all other needs of the second campus and added that the district government of Mardan would also give its share to the campus in the shape of infrastructure etc. He said the site of SCARP Colony in Mardan was an ideal place for the campus.

The governor said the commencement of second campus of the engineering university was a practical step towards the aim of the government to spread education to all parts of the province.

He said value-added education was the need of the hour so that the graduates of these higher educational institutions could seek employment for themselves.

Regarding grant of scholarships to the deserving students, the governor said that a sum of rupees seven lakh and a half were being given to the university every year out of the Education Foundation funds and added that the sum could be further increased by 40 per cent.