QUETTA: Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Scheme for students belonging to underdeveloped areas was launched here on Wednesday.

Over 33,400 university students of 59 districts across the country, including 5,948 students from Balochistan’s 32 districts, are expected to benefit from the scheme.

Inaugurating the scheme, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar distributed cheques and certificates among students of various educational institutions at a ceremony held at the Governor House.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to attend the ceremony but could not because he was indisposed.

Balochistan Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Balochistan Assembly Speaker Jan Mohammad Jamali, Senior Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch and Chairman of the Higher Education Commission Mukhtar Ahmed attended the function.

Mr Dar said the prime minister had decided to give priority to backward provinces in development, particularly education.

He said six schemes for youths — Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Sche­me, Micro-finance Scheme, Interest-free Loan Scheme, Laptop Scheme for Students, Skill Development Scheme and Small Business Youth Loan Scheme — had been included in the next federal budget.

He said the federal gover­nment had already released Rs1.2 billion for university students of Baloch­istan under the Fee Reimbu­rsement Scheme which would continue for four years.

Mr Dar said Balochistan would get Rs162bn for its mega development projects under the Pak-China Corridor initiative.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2014