KARACHI, Feb 23: The Sindh government attaches great importance to the youth and their empowerment and is declaring 2009 as the “Year of the youth” which shows the government’s commitment towards young generation.

This was stated by Sindh Youth Affairs Minister Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari on Monday. He was addressing a press conference in his office.

The provincial secretary of youth affairs, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, and the provincial director of youth affairs, Khurshid Ali Shaikh, were also present at the press conference.

The government was planning to establish a ‘youth development board’ in order to counter extremism and to strengthen extra-curricular activities for the youth, the minister said.

He said that the Sindh youth affairs department had prepared a calendar of activities for the youth to mark the year in a memorable way, and was also formulating developmental activities and projects in this regard.

The minister said the youth affairs department had asked the prisons chief of the province to provide a list of juvenile convicts in the 15-20 age bracket who were involved in minor and petty offences, were not habitual offenders and were in prison because they were unable to pay fines of up to Rs50,000. He said the government was planning to help them with its own resources.

He said that two very innovative youth development projects had been initiated.

“Inspire”, one of the projects, was aimed at the youth who would help in attaining excellence in their fields through counselling and training. He said that Rs55.504 million had been allocated for this programme.

The other programme was “Development for youth collectivism, sharing and togetherness” for which Rs42.992 million had been allocated.

He said that the department had decided to build youth development centres in Karachi and the interior of Sindh.

The Pakistan People’s Party government in 1993 had taken an initiative in this connection and had allotted two plots — one in Karachi and the other in Sukkur measuring one acre and 4.5 acres respectively — but the land mafia had grabbed these plots, he said.

He said that the plot in Karachi had already been retrieved while the plot in Sukkur would also be recovered.

He said in the first phase, youth development centres would be constructed in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Umarkot while in the second phase centres would be established in Larkana, Sanghar, Shikarpur, Qamber, and Tando Allahyar districts.

He said that in addition to this, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Training and Skill Development Centres would also be established and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Hostels would be constructed for boys and girls.

Mr Sabzwari said that a mega city youth development complex would be established in Karachi in which a modern audio-visual centre, library, internet, call centre, gymnasium, indoor games, hostel and other youth related facilities would be available.

There was a proposal to construct a ladies youth club/community centre in Karachi.

The minister said that for the training of young and unemployed women, girls industrial homes and vocational training centres would be set up in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Nawabshah.

A scholarship scheme would be started for needy students.

The minister said that special efforts were being made to promote extra-curricular activities in the youth. Quiz competitions, debates and essay-writing competitions would be promoted.