ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: As many as 25 educational institutions of the federal capital have been equipped with computer labs out of a total of 377 F.G. institutions and 19 model colleges.

An official source told Dawn that the project cost the government Rs39.8 million. Ten colleges, including F.G. institutions as well as Islamabad model colleges, were furnished with computers, and 14 secondary and one higher secondary school provided with computer facilities. The scheme was approved by the Science and Technology ministry before the civilian government came into power.

The facilities include 14 pentium-IV computers, one server, scanner and printer each. All the computers are connected with the local area network having Internet facilities in addition to an airconditioner, uninterrupted power supply system (UPS) and a library having 108 computer books on fundamental of computers for beginners and language books for advance users.

The source said two lecturers of each college had also been trained and appointed with an initial salary of Rs15,000 a month. Similarly, a batch of 30 teachers were completing their postgraduate diploma in computer sciences to teach the students.

In addition to this a lab assistant has also been appointed who will be given a salary of Rs6,000 per month.

The source said two more funds amounting to Rs55 million were in the process of approval to upgrade another group of 26 institutions, including 16 higher secondary in the second phase.

This scheme has been forwarded to the science and technology ministry for final authorization and release of funds.

Recently, the new government has also approved another plan of setting up 1,000 computer labs at a cost of Rs1.4 billion. The project includes appointing 2,000 IT teachers of different secondary and higher secondary schools.

Under this scheme, computer labs would be set up in all the four provinces, besides AJK, FATA, FANA and the ICT to run these labs.

This scheme, the source said, which would start from early next year would be implemented in a period of 36 months.

The list in which the computers have been installed includes seven boy schools in the federal capital namely F.G. Boys Model School, G-6/4; F.G. Boys Comprehensive School, G-7/2; F.G. Boys Model School, F-8/3; F.G. Boys Model School, G-9/4; F.G. Boys Model School, I-9/4; Islamabad Model College for Boys, F-10/3 and Islamabad Model College for Boys, I-8/3.

Similarly, the girl schools include F.G. Girls Secondary School No 12, NHC; F.G. Girls Model School, G-6/1-3; F.G. Girls Model School, F-7/2; F.G. Girls Model School, G-9/3; F.G. Girls Model School, I-8/1; F.G. Girls Higher Secondary/Model School, I- 9/1; Islamabad Model College for Girls, F-8/1 and Islamabad Model College for Girls, G-10/2.

The name of colleges include Islamabad College for Girls, F- 6/2; Islamabad Model College for Girls, F-6/2; Islamabad College for Boys, G-6/3; Islamabad Model College for Boys, F-8/4; F.G. Margalla College, F-7/4; F.G. College for Women, G-10/4; Islamabad College for Commerce for Women, F-10/3; F.G. College for Men, H-8; F.G. Commerce College, H-8 and F.G. College for Men, F-10/4.