ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The Ministry of Science and Technology received foreign funds worth Rs535 million for the execution of some research-related projects during the last three years.

This was stated in the National Assembly in a written reply to a question on Friday.

To a question raised by MNA Yasmeen Rehman, it was told that the Pakistan Science Foundation and Pakistan Museum of Natural History, a subsidiary of the ministry, received Rs492 million in December 2005 for research projects in the field of natural science applicable to agriculture for enhancement of crop production and food security.

The Pakistan Museum of Natural History received $20,000 in 2006 for global biodiversity information facility, including training of the museum team and organising national workshop on sharing biodiversity data.

The amount was granted by US government under an agreement between the Economic Affairs Division and Commodity Credit Corporation of USA.

The Pakistan National Accreditation Council received Rs14.8 million from the NORAD, Norway for capacity building and good governance.

The National Physical and Standards Laboratory of Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research received funds for installation of environment condition system.

Earlier, Minister for Labour and Manpower Khurshid Shah in replying to a question told the NA that the officials of the cabinet division tried to conceal the names of the people to whom the LPG quota was allotted.

He said such actions were tantamount to misguide the house, requesting the chair to defer the question to seek comprehensive reply.—APP