LAHORE, May 19: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said on Friday primary education would be made compulsory in the province through legislation after the provision of all infrastructure and missing facilities to the education sector.

Making primary education compulsory was an important part of the provincial planning, he told a delegation of the France-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group which called on him at his secretariat here.

Led by Mr Claude Bioraux, the delegation comprised Mrs Geneviene Gaillard, Mr Jean Lucritver, Mr Jacques Desallangre and Mrs Brigitte Broat.

The chief minister informed the delegation that concrete steps had been taken to promote quality education and strengthen the education sector under a programme. The local community participation in the system had been ensured through the school councils network.

The councils, he said, had been given financial and administrative powers so that they could effectively monitor presence of teachers at schools, improvement in their infrastructure and other related affairs.

He said comprehensive planning had been made for the promotion of technical education in the province. The federal and the provincial governments were jointly striving to strengthen the higher education sector.

The government had increased the education budget from Rs1 billion to Rs7 billion and would further enhance it in the next budget, he pledged.

Earlier, the chief minister welcomed the delegation and said France had played a commendable role in the rehabilitation of quake victims in Pakistan. He said both the countries had deep-rooted friendship.

Mr Bioraux said the delegation had also visited the quake-hit areas in Kashmir and was happy to note that the government and NGOs were making all possible efforts to rehabilitate the affected people. He appreciated the Punjab government for taking solid steps for the improvement of education sector, besides introducing social-sector reforms.