Other provinces offered scholarships
LAHORE:
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved expansion of the Honhaar Scholarship Scheme for students from other provinces.
The same eligibility criteria has been set for the students belonging to other provinces like that in Punjab.
Presiding over a meeting on higher education, then chief minister also increased the number of laptops for students in Punjab up to 110,000. She approved the inclusion of the students of the second, third and fourth semesters in Punjab in the Honhaar Scholarship Scheme.
The chief minister directed then authorities concerned to establish a special helpline for students regarding the scholarship and laptop schemes.
It was decided to set the eligibility criterion for obtaining laptops as 65 per cent marks.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said while addressing the meeting, "The Honhaar Scholarship and laptop schemes are the right of every child and responsibility of the government.
Education and youth development are the real investments for the uplift of a nation and I want to see every child getting a laptop."
She said, "Laptops and Honhaar scholarships are the right of students from other provinces as well."
The chief minister added, "Students from other provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are also our children. Every child who comes on merit should apply to obtain education in a quality institution. The government will pay his fee. I think like a mother, I want to change the fate of every child."
She said, "The standard set for obtaining Honhaar scholarships in Punjab will remain the same for students from other provinces."
She said provision of funds in all schemes for the well-being of students would be ensured.
The participants of the meeting also approved plans to organise a conference of vice chancellors and a 'Tech Expo' in Punjab.
Separately, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced that biker lanes would be marked on all roads of Lahore in a phased manner.
"A pilot project to allocate separate lanes for cyclists and motorcyclists on the roads of Lahore, following the model of China's capital Beijing, has been launched," she said.
In ten first phase, a 10-kilometre-long biker lane in green and other colours is being developed from Ferozepur Road to Lahore Bridge.
The chief minister said, "The modern global concept of biker lanes will reduce accidents and bring about smooth traffic flow." She appealed to the citizens to make the pilot project a success with their cooperation and discipline, so that lives could be protected and accidents avoided.
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