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‘Malakand Development plan to spearhead industrial growth’

* NA informed Sports Ministry will start 16 development projects in 2009-10
* Govt setting up 14 cadet colleges at a cost of Rs 4.8 billion

By Irfan Bukhari

ISLAMABAD: The minister for Industries and Production on Friday informed the National Assembly that the government had prepared the Malakand Development Programme to spur industrial growth and employment opportunities in the area.

The minister was answering a supplementary question during NA question hour.

“A similar plan will also be implemented in the Tribal Areas,” he added.

To a question, Sports Minister Syed Aftab Jillani informed the House that the Pakistan Cricket Board had awarded central contracts to 33 players of the national cricket team, strictly on merit.

"More than 45 sports-related development schemes are underway at a cost of Rs 2.71 billion and would be completed by 2011,” Jillani said.

The minister said the Sports Ministry would start 16 development projects during 2009-10 that would include three for the development of cricket worth Rs 204 million, nine for hockey worth Rs 307 million, and four for squash worth Rs 50.5 million.

“The Federal Sports Ministry will also allocate special funds for the Football Federation to build football stadium and sports complexes for the promotion of football in the country,” Jillani said.

The minister of State for Education, Ghulam Farid Kathia, informed the House that the government was working on a strategy to raise the budgetary allocation for education to up to four percent of the GDP in the coming year.

He said the prime minister had constituted a task force to transform Islamabad into “first knowledge city” to promote education. The NA was informed that the government was setting up 14 cadet colleges across the country at a cost of Rs 4.8 billion.

Responding to another query, he said funds allocated for the Higher Education Commission could not be released against the allocations due to the financial crunch in the last two years. Minister for Industries Manzoor Wattoo informed the House that the cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee had approved a development programme for the auto industry to boost local production of automobile spare parts.

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