PESHAWAR, Sept 15: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said his government will give Rs200 each as scholarship to girl students of class 6 to 10 of government schools in underdeveloped and backward areas of the province.

He was speaking at a ceremony held to distribute free textbooks among students of government schools at the Achieves Auditorium here on Thursday.

“We have increased the education budget to Rs3 billion, and 4,700 centres have been set up under the Education for All Programme,” Mr Durrani said.

He said land for establishing three new universities in Jalozai, Nowshera, and Mamon Khetki had been provided to authorities concerned.

“Three new universities and 66 colleges have already been set up, and work on the three new universities is in progress,” he said, adding that over Rs960.6 million had been spent on provision of free textbooks since 2004 which increased students’ enrolment by 15 per cent.

The chief minister said education played an important role in development of a country, adding that countries which had made advancement in science and technology ruled the world.