PESHAWAR:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan Saturday said the government would introduce Education Cards like on the pattern of Sehat Cards to facilitate less-privileged students to help them continue their higher education in public and private universities.
Expressing his views at the floor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly after approval of the budget 2021-22, he said that every student had the right to continue his study and it was responsibility of the government to support all those students who could not continue their study due to financial restraints.
He said that MoU had been signed with the Bank of Khyber to allocate Rs 10 billion for interest free loans to shopkeepers, owners of private schools and other businesses who were suffered losses due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The chief minister said the government was committed to provide best healthcare facilities to people for which four state of the art hospitals would be established in five zones including one for merged districts so that they could avail modern medical treatment at their doorsteps.
He informed the assembly that evening shift classes would be started soon for which 25 thousand more teachers would be hired on merit, adding, the furniture would be provided to 95 percent schools during this financial year.
The chief minister said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be the first province to setup Livestock University and introduce food security policy to meet future challenges of food shortage. He said that food security policy would consist of short, mid-term and long-term phases, adding that CRBC lift canal would be completed to convert barren lands of southern districts into agriculture and fertile lands so that wheat and other crops could be grown to overcome food shortage in the province.
He said that it was priority of his government to include Chasma Right Bank Lift Canal (CRBC) project in CPEC, otherwise the provincial government would provide funds from own resources keeping in view the importance of this mega-agriculture project which would make the province food sufficient.
The chief minister said that NFC award would be updated and assured the house that federal government would pay a due share of province including all arrears.
He said that federal government had agreed to give Rs 3 billion per month on pretext on net hydel profit to province.
He said that a sub-committee of the cabinet had been constituted to implement AGN Qazi formula.
Mahmood Khan said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stance and demands on hydro projects had been accepted in the National Electricity Policy.
He said that under the agriculture reforms, over 700,000 farmers would be facilitated to provide them subsided and free of cost seeds and other incentives.
He said that provincial water authority would setup to distribution of water inside the province.
He said that KP City Infrastructure Development project with the support of Asian Development Bank would be launched to address sanitation and sewerage issues across the province.
The chief minister said that legislation was underway to stop housing societies on agriculture land, adding, no housing society would be allowed on agriculture land in future.
He said that ration cards system would be introduced under which food item would be provided to deserving people at their door step for which modalities were being chalked out.
He said that Khyber Pass Economic Connectivity Road and Swat Motorway phase second, Peshawar to D. I Khan road would provide road connectivity which would boost trade with Afghanistan and central Asian countries.
Mahmood Khan said that strict crackdown and operation would be launched against criminals, land grabbers, encroachers, and hoarders to eliminate society of anti-social elements, adding that he was enjoying two-third majority in the assembly and if necessary amendments would be made in the laws to remove any hurdles.
He said that reservations of the opposition MPAs about disparity in the development schemes would be addressed and their suggestions would be given consideration.