LAHORE: After a hiatus of seven years, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has given the green light to reinstate the laptop scheme.
In a recent meeting chaired by CM Maryam to discuss reforms in the higher education sector, it was decided to reintroduce the provision of state-of-the-art laptops to students in Punjab after a prolonged interval.
The meeting, which focused on advancing higher education and improving student facilities such as laptops and transportation, revealed that more than 0.65 million students are currently enrolled in public and private universities across Punjab. Of these students, 44% are male and 56% are female.
Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, along with other officials, were present at the meeting.
Earlier, on May 26, 2023, the then-Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, had announced the government’s intention to relaunch the laptop scheme in 2023 as part of the Prime Minister Youth Programme. Khawaja had disclosed plans to distribute 100,000 laptops to the youth.
Expressing regret over the scheme’s discontinuation by the previous government, Khawaja highlighted the importance of laptops, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, in facilitating education and employment opportunities for the youth.
Additionally, CM Maryam announced plans to distribute 20,000 electric bikes to students across the province, emphasizing their role in reducing pollution. She acknowledged the challenges related to electric bikes, such as battery theft and limited mileage, and proposed providing petrol bikes alongside electric ones on convenient installment plans.
