Minister for Industries directs to prepare a feasibility report for establishment of Technical University in Rawalpindi

LAHORE: A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal in the Committee Room of Punjab Board of Investment on Tuesday in which the performance of the Department of Industries and Commerce and its affiliated wings was reviewed.

The Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal while addressing the meeting said that the Department of Industry and Commerce and its wings should work hard to achieve the set targets in time. He made it clear that there was no place in the department for those who were lazy and careless in achieving the targets.

He said that an online system should be set up for the promotion of handicrafts and Punjab Small Industries Corporation should speed up the work on its ongoing schemes. He said that besides teaching skills to students, providing employment is also important. Therefore, Sector Skill Councils should also be responsible for the job placement of skilled force. The provincial minister said that a data bank would be set up using modern technology in the industry department to analyze of value chains of essential commodities.

The Act of the University of Technology Rawalpindi Act has been prepared for cabinet approval, he added. The provincial minister directed to prepare a feasibility report for the establishment of a technical university in Rawalpindi as soon as possible and said that the Punjab Board of Investment should ensure the provision of best possible facilities to the industrialists and investors. Officers from TEVTA, Punjab Small Industries Corporation, Punjab Skill Development Authority and other wings of industry department gave briefings.

The meeting was informed that 55,000 students have been trained under the Hunermund Naujawan Program. Secretary Industry and Commerce Wasif Khurshid, Chairman TEVTA Ali Salman Siddique, CEO Punjab Board of Investment Dr Arfa Iqbal,Head Special Monitoring Unit Fazil Asif and officers of Industry and Commerce Department attended the meeting.