The National Youth Laptop Scheme, costing Rs 10 billion, has been authorised by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) to aid young people in developing their digital abilities. Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal stated at a news conference that this programme will provide 100,000 students with computers, with a particular quota set out for Balochistan students.

Additionally, he stated that students who do not qualify for the programme due to merit will still be able to purchase computers through commercial banks on convenient instalment plans. He stated that the ECNEC also authorised the rebuilding of houses in Sindh province's flood-affected districts through the Rs 55 billion Sindh Human Capital Investment and the Rs 160 billion Flood Response Emergency Housing Project. Both initiatives are being funded by the World Bank.

The ECNEC also approved a scholarship programme that would allow 5,000 students from Balochistan and the former FATA to attend institutions in more developed regions of the country.

According to Ahsan Iqbal, the ECNEC also gave the green light to a project to rebuild the infrastructure in Balochistan's flood-stricken areas, costing Rs 80 billion. He stated that the federal government is paying for this initiative out of its own funds. Some 10,000 Balochistan students will also receive paid internships under this scheme, he continued.

A project that would provide development projects to 20 of the country's least developed areas for 10 years was also authorised by the ECNEC. The federal government would provide Rs 40 billion to this initiative, while the respective provincial governments would each pay Rs 40 billion.

He said that the ECNEC has also authorised another scheme, under which all development projects funded by the Public Sector Development Programme would offer engineers and technical graduates a year of paid internships (at a rate of Rs. 40,000 per month).

Additionally, the ECNEC authorised 75 scholarships that would be given to Pakistani students who were accepted into the best colleges in the world.

He said that Pakistan had the biggest climate change calamity last year, costing the country more than $30 billion. He stated that the world community will show its support for Pakistan at a summit in Geneva on January 9, which is being convened by the UN secretary-general.

It is hoped that Pakistan will receive the funding needed to push forward the rehabilitation effort in the country's flood-affected regions, he said. This is an unprecedented challenge that has had an impact on agricultural production and agricultural stocks, forcing Pakistan to import a sizable quantity of grains and other food items, he added.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk