MINGORA, May 4: Provincial minister for science and information technology Hussein Ahmad Kanju has said the government is determined to increase the literacy rate and provide all facilities relating to information technology in the NWFP.

Speaking at a prize distribution ceremony at the Shin Bagh public school here in Drushkhela on Saturday, the minister said the literacy rate in the province was only 11 per cent, which would be increased.

He said the MMA government had adopted policies for the welfare of common man, adding the government was determined to better the lot of people through good education.

APCA OATH-TAKING: Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), Swat chapter, the minister said the contract employees in the public sector would be given all kinds of facilities except pension in the province.

He said the government had planned to provide free of cost medicines in the hospitals’ emergency wards.

The minister said free education, including uniforms and books, would be provided to the students at the primary level from the next year.

District Nazim Dr Mehboobur Rehman, APCA central president Fazal Mabood Khan, provincial president Aslam Khan, central general secretary Nusrat Ali Toor, provincial general secretary Ishrat Abbas, district president Umer Khitab and others also spoke on the occasion.