ISLAMABAD, Dec 17: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has approved Rs30 million for the National Volunteer Movement (NVM), an organization constituted after the Oct 8 earthquake to channelize energies of young volunteers for the relief and rehabilitation work.

NVM Deputy Chairman Mohammad Ali Saif told participants of a dialogue on the ‘role of youth in rehabilitation’ organized by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) here on Saturday that the prime minister had approved a budget of Rs30 million for the volunteer movement.

He said that earlier the organization was working with a $120 million fund allocated by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), but the Rs30 million budget approved by the prime minister would help sustain the efforts of the organization and help it work with more dedication and vigour.

The organization had received 5,220 registration forms from volunteers, whereas approximately 40,000 registration forms were issued across the country, he said.

The organization had planned to induct approximately 3,000 volunteers in the quake-affected areas for the rehabilitation process and skilled people in the medical, educational and construction work were needed.

Volunteers above the age of 18 could register themselves with the NVM and for the recognition of their volunteer work the organization has proposed that the education ministry give them special credits for their one-month volunteer work in field.

He asked the youth to participate in the NVM specially female volunteers because their services were required in the fields of health, education, camp management and trauma counselling.

He said that the NVM was also planning to set up three more base camps in Mansehra, Bagh and Muzaffarabad with the help of the army.