PESHAWAR, Nov 14: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will start distribution of laptops among 25,000 brilliant students of the province in the last week of December.

The decision was taken in a meeting held at Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in the chair.

Initially, the laptops would be distributed among the students of four-year Bachelor of Studies (BS) programme and students of professional colleges including medical and engineering, officials privy to the meeting told Dawn.

They said that laptops would also be given to the top 10 position holders of government schools in the intermediate examinations conducted by all boards of intermediate and secondary education in the province.

Similarly, two percent quota was reserved for disabled students of BS programme and engineering and medical institutions, they added.

They said that students of master degrees enrolled in the public sector colleges and universities were not included in the scheme so far.

The provincial government has allocated Rs1 billion for the laptops distribution programme under Naway Sahar Scheme (New Dawn Scheme).

“We have estimated to distribute 25,000 laptops among the brilliant students and each laptop will be bought at Rs40,000,” said an official. The number of laptops could be increased if the price was below the estimated rate of Rs40,000, he added.

Regarding criteria for getting a laptop, the official said that minimum marks for the students of semester system were 75 per cent and 65 per cent for the students of annual examination system.

The meeting was informed that technical bid was opened by the procurement committee of the higher education department.

Technical evaluation was under process by the committee constituted for the purpose, the official said.

Subsequently, he said, financial bid of the firms qualifying the technical criteria formulated by the government would be opened.

The meeting was also informed that establishment of oil and gas company would be finalised soon, said a handout issued here on Wednesday.

The progress on special indicatives of the government in health, agriculture, higher education, elementary and secondary education, transport, information technology, energy and power and science and technology was also reviewed in the meeting.

Additional chief secretary and administrative secretaries of different departments attended the meeting.

The chief minister said on the occasion that government’s special initiatives for controlling problems of unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, fatal diseases and energy would have lasting effects. He said that special initiatives for technical education and woman education would also prove useful.

Mr Hoti expressed satisfaction over progress on Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar Scheme, Hunarmand Rozgar Scheme and Stori Da Pakhtunkhwa and Rokhana Pakhtunkhwa programmes.

He said that oil and gas reserves in southern districts guaranteed the development and prosperity of the province.

He termed establishment of a oil and gas company vital for benefiting from those resources in real sense.  The chief minister directed the department concerned for speedy steps for establishment of the company.

He said that special attention should be paid to creation of awareness among people about free treatment of hepatitis and cancer under Benazir Health Support Programme and Begum Nusrat Bhutto Oncology Services.

Mr Hoti said that work should be expedited on those special initiatives. He stressed the need for continuity in implementation of people welfare schemes.