HYDERABAD, Nov 18: The district council on Monday began its deliberations with Fateha for the departed soul of Aimal Kasi and condemned the discriminatory policies of the United States against Muslims all over the world.

A resolution to this effect was presented by Yousuf Qureshi.

Later, the district council approved a report, which was submitted by Sumera Akhlaq, containing recommendations on Information Technology (IT).

Akhlaq, who is the chairperson of the district council’s committee on IT, said that she had visited various educational institutions, which had ample space for setting up computer laboratories but lacked computers.

Her first priority, she said, was to arrange at least five personal computers (PCs) for each institution, enabling the institution to start a computer.

Emphasising on the need for arranging more IT workshops, she regretted the low attendance of Nazimeen in a workshop, which she had organised some time ago, adding that she would endeavour to arrange more workshops for women members of the council.

There were many people, she said, who wanted to acquire IT education but were unable to afford it.

She stated that there were people who wanted to acquire IT education but they were unable to afford it, adding that an IT exhibition would also be organised soon.

Expressing her disappointment over lack of job opportunities for the computer literate people in the city, she said that people get frustrated when they were unable to find jobs in their field of expertise.

She said that people were leaving for foreign countries prior to the Sept 11 incidents as they had good IT-related job prospects abroad but the scenario had abruptly changed worldwide.

Stressing on the need for setting up of a software house in the city, she said that it would increase business and job opportunities.

Akhlaq also called for establishing a database centre in Hyderabad.

She urged the district government and the DCO, Mir Hussain Ali, to direct computer training institutes to charge not more than Rs1,000 for any course.

The report was appreciated by the members.

Q. Hakim proposed for creation of at least one post of computer operator in every government department to attract more people in the field of IT.

The chief whip of the house, Meeran Mohammad Shah, said that opportunities should also be given to the students of rural areas, adding that girls of the rural areas showed better aptitude towards the IT than boys.

The DCO told the house that a network was being created to connect 12 departments of the district government.

The DCO agreed with the idea of setting up a technology park or a software house in the city, and assured the members that taluka councils would be given Pentium-II computers in one month’s time and that provisions of computers would also be ensured in the rural areas.