RAWALPINDI, Feb 8: World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn has appreciated the Education Sector Reforms Programme (ESRP) launched in the Punjab and underlined the need for its extension to other provinces.

Mr Wolfensohn was speaking at a meeting attended by Provincial Education Minister Mian Imran Masood, Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed, additional chief secretary Khushnood Khan Lashari and other officials at the Punjab House on Tuesday.

The World Bank has provided $200 million for the three-year project launched in 2003. After its successful completion, a similar amount or even more, depending on the total expenses incurred, will be provided.

The World Bank chief emphasized the need to strengthen the programme, saying it could be extended for a period of ten years. He said the international financial body would provide an amount of $100 million every year in addition to the $200 million already granted for the programme.

He also promised that all possible cooperation and support would be extended to the Punjab Education Foundation.

Mr Wolfensohn emphasised bringing about changes to the basic infrastructure of irrigation system in Pakistan to increase the agricultural production. He also promised to assist Pakistan in eradication of diseases like hepatitis and polio.

Briefing the World Bank chief on the programme, the Punjab education minister said a sum of Rs150 million was being provided to schools or each district every year. He said facilities including furniture, study materials were being provided to schools while water supply schemes, repair works and construction of additional classrooms and boundary walls had been started in some institutions while in others work on such projects was in progress.

Besides, he added, those institutions whose buildings were in bad condition or those which were functioning in rented buildings would be provided funds to repair or construct their own buildings.

The minister said the government was concentrating on female education and programmes were being launched to provide scholarships to the students. He said a plan to increase per student scholarship amount was also under consideration to enhance literacy.

Mr Masood said different incentives were being given to the youth to attract them towards acquisition of information technology education.

The provincial health minister said the government was giving top priority to providing more health facilities to the people in both urban and rural areas and also improving the existing healthcare services. Various programmes have been launched to eliminate diseases in the province, he said.