BAHAWALPUR, Oct 30: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has released the first instalment of Rs2.5 million to Islamia University.

The funds have been provided for strengthening teaching facilities at its college of conventional medicine besides setting up herbal-analytical laboratories.

University sources said the HEC had sanctioned a total sum of Rs39 million for this project, under which academic and research facilities would be extended to conventional medicine college students who would be taught specialized courses in tibb and homeopathy.

Meanwhile, the university announced the introduction of a three-month Arabic language courses.

APPROVED: New roads costing about Rs10.12 million have been approved from the sugar cess to be constructed in the sugarcane areas of the district.

The approval was accorded in the meeting of sugar cess committee, which met under the chairmanship of DCO Imran Ahmad here on Saturday.

The meeting was informed that local sugar mills would start their crushing season from Nov 1 as had been announced by the sugar mills owners.

RELEASED: At least 45 prisoners of new central jail and borstal jail involved in minor cases were released.

Their cases were reviewed by a team of judicial officers led by district and sessions judge Muhammad Saleem Qureshi and comprising special judicial magistrate Tariq Javed and civil judge Ghulam Abbas during their visit to jails.

SANCTIONED: The district government has sanctioned a sum of Rs2.5 million for the extension of women's "sanat zaar".

According to Sanat Zaar's manager Ms Qamar Shafi, the institution was providing legal and financial help to the needy women, who were also being trained in embroidery work to earn their livelihood.

Corps Commander Lt-Gen Syed Parwez Shahid gave away cash prizes and certificates among the army medal winners of Saarc, national and inter-services games.