LAHORE: The government would establish more women universities in the province, the Punjab Assembly was told here on Monday.

Higher Education Minister Raja Yassir Humayun said during the Question Hour the government intended to set up more women universities in the province and the projects would be executed soon after resources were available for the purpose.

He told a questioner that the allegations of use of substandard material in the construction of buildings for educational institutions must be investigated. He said the department would request the chief minister for action against the Communications and Works Department officials for the poor construction of various colleges’ buildings.

Replying to a questioner, he said though he believed that there should be a college in each provincial assembly’s constituency, the government was not going to establish new colleges and was rather focusing on completing the buildings and missing facilities of the existing institutions.

No new college as focus is on missing facilities

SANITARY WORKERS: PML-N’s Tahir Khalil Sandhu, on a point of order, raised the issue of non-payment of salaries before Christmas to sanitary workers in Faisalabad.

He demanded that the government pay Rs3,300 to each worker so that they could purchase new clothes for their children for the festival.

Law Minister Raja Basharat assured the lawmaker that he would soon call on the chief minister to resolve the issue.

Treasury MPA Chaudhry Shafiq raised the issue of fertiliser shortage and sale of the compost in the black market. Panel of Chairman Mian Shafi endorsed views of the MPA, while former speaker Rana Iqbal criticised the minister for failing to control the situation though availability of the compost was necessary to ensure food security.

Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jehanian Gardezi admitted that there were complaints regarding the supply of fertilisers but the issue had been resolved through action against the black-marketers and hoarders. He said his department would act if and when any complaint was received on the subject.

Raja Basharat suggested fixing proper time for holding an open debate on the issue after consultation in the Business Advisory Committee. The house passed with simple majority three bills – the Grand Asian University Sialkot Bill 2021; the Lahore Institute of Science & Technology Bill 2021; and the Ghazi National Institute of Engineering & Sciences Dera Ghazi Khan Bill 2021.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2021