BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has taken notice of 633 unregistered and unrecognised private technical and vocational institutes in the province and launched action against them.

According to a source in the Punjab Skills Development Authority (PSDA), when a number of unregistered institutes came to light in a recent province-wide survey, the government sprung into action and asked the PSDA to take measures to shut them.

The source said these institutes were misleading the people enrolled with them in large numbers as trainees and instructors. However, the government has given a chance to the owners of these institutes to complete formalities to pave the way for their recognition by the authorities concerned.

In this connection, the PSDA has issued a letter to the divisional commissioners (DCs) across the province to take action against these unrecognised technical and vocational institutes if they don’t get registered. In the letter, it has also been pointed out that presently there are 1,056 institutes working in the public and private sectors and out of them 633 were unregistered. Instructions have also been issued that in addition to unregistered institutes, the ghost institutes should also be unearthed as they are allegedly drawing millions of rupees in grants.

It may be recalled that there were complaints against the illegal institutes run by various non-government organisations (NGOs) with the alleged connivance of the government functionaries. They are earning millions of rupees annually from the government sector as well by launching refresher industrial and vocational courses on a quarterly or six-month basis for the jobless youth. On the pretext of training, they are securing grants and aid from various government agencies.

ACCIDENT: A student of the Sadiq Public school (SPS) was killed while two teenage cyclists suffered injuries in an accident on the Gulberg Road in Cheema Town on Saturday.

According to police sources, two teenagers were allegedly having a bicycle race on the road. The car driver, Faizan, who had appeared in the intermediate examination attempted to save the cyclists and rammed his vehicle into a roadside electric pole. He suffered critical injuries and was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Both the cyclists were also injured in the accident.

FIREFIGHTING: Rescue 1122 observed the International Firefighters’ Day in Bahawalpur, Lodhran and Vehari.

In this connection, the rescuers held special functions, ceremonies and flag marches to mark the day at their respective stations to raise public awareness.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2024