Minister for Education and Training, Sheikh Waqas Akram, while replying to a question, said Rs 25 million out of the total allocated PSDP funds have been surrendered in favour of the Cabinet Division on the request of Finance Division. However, funds amounting to Rs 996.132 have been allocated for the ministry of education and its attached departments in terms of current expenditure during the year 2012-13, he added.
Sheikh Waqas said Pakistan is lagging behind in achievement of Millennium Development Goals, as per education is concerned. In this perspective, Ministry of Education and Trainings is developing an action plan to achieve Universal Primary Education by 2015 in consultation with the provincial stakeholders. Similarly, efforts are being made to create opportunities of technical training for the unemployed youth through PPP initiatives and training courses conducted by National Training Bureau, (NTB) & National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC).
The Ministry of Education & Trainings was created with the responsibilities to plan, supervise and co-ordinate educational, professional, vocational and technical training to benefit masses. The ministry is mandated to prepare policy directives and conduct trainings to make our manpower skilful to meet national and international demands, he added.
During question hour, MNA Nisar Tanveer asked the Minister for Communication to inform the House about the steps being taken to encourage the use of new technologies and non-conventional raw materials for construction, maintenance and rehabilitation including the use of rubberised tar and recycled plastic waste.
Parliamentary secretary for communication, Chaudhry Saeed Iqbal while replying to a question informed the House that National Highway Authority (NHA) has introduced many new technologies that cater to the needs of both conventional/non-conventional raw materials for maintenance and construction of roads. However, rubberised tar and recycled plastic waste has not yet been used by NHA.
He said new technologies and non-conventional materials have been introduced for the first time in Pakistan on national highways and motorways include: hot & cold recycling of asphalt concrete pavements, polymer modified bitumen (PMB), crumb rubber modified bitumen (CRMB), stone mastic asphalt technology (SMA), cellulose fiber technology by forta fl fibres, rigid pavement technology, composite pavement technology and Geo-grid Reinforcement of Pavements.