ISLAMABAD, May 17:  Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has directed the Ministry of Information Technology to provide community computers to schools, inter-colleges, union councils, IT centres and other rural hubs all over the country within next three months.

This would help achieve multiple objectives including smart schooling, improving skills of community, women empowerment and financial inclusion of rural communities, Mr. Gilani said this on Thursday while speaking at a special ceremony organised to mark the ‘World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.’

He said that the government had established more than 1,000 educational and community broadband centres in the remote areas of the country to impart ICT skill development and digital literacy training.

Mr. Gilani issued orders to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to make broadband wiring mandatory in every building plan like electric wiring and gas piping, and also advised the provincial governments to include it in their building design codes.

Prime Minister Gilani announced annual ICT scholarship facility of Rs300 million for female students in order to reduce gender disparity.

He also announced creation of a venture capital fund of Rs1 billion for encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship research and development in IT industry.  For this purpose, a separate company having eminent professionals would be created.

He called for extensive use of satellite technology to overcome the obstacles in faster deployment of connectivity projects in inaccessible and remote areas of the country.

Emphasising IT education and conventional education, he proposed a satellite-based interactive educational project, and asked IT ministry to evolve a strategy in this regard.