Despite allocation of a meagre amount in the budget, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Wednesday insisted that the amount earmarked for his ministry would be enough to bring a revolution in science and technology sector.
Speaking at a presser, he said the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources will start a diploma programme on water management soon, aimed at capacity building of employees of all federal and provincial planning, housing and works departments in management, on use and conservation of water.
"It's just not an issue which ministry I'm given as my duty is to stand with daily wagers and deprived people, who have shown their trust in and elected me as their representative...I don't care if it ruffles feathers, as I'm all for unions," he declared.
He revealed that the government plans to spend $800 million on treating drinkable water and making it disease free. "An institute like this does not exist in the entire Muslim Ummah," claimed Fawad.
He said water related courses will also be part of the curriculum of 1500 new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics based schools to be established across the country. He said that clean drinking water facilities will be provided in these schools that will benefit students and general public. Chaudhry said the PTI government has laid the foundation of a strong accountability process in the country. He announced that they have planned to commercialise laboratories to make better use of them.
On a question, Fawad said the provincial governments have no capacity and potential to utilise public money; therefore, he was against giving money to the provincial governments. Commenting on the arrests of PPP's Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz, he said both the leaders should've been arrested earlier. "Both were involved in corrupt practices and looted national exchequer." The minister said Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) found 5,000 accounts linked to Zardari's 31 accounts. "The money of Sindh's people was being collected in 31 different bank accounts linking to Zardari and Bilawal House," he claimed.
Chaudhry claimed that money was being shifted to the UAE, the USA and France. "This was the hard-earned money of the people of Sindh," he remarked. He also flayed the construction of roads, Metro Bus projects in Punjab and bridges, saying former rulers have spent some 1.1 trillion on these projects with a major focus to make money out of such projects. Chaudhry said construction of roads, Metro Bus projects and bridges were not need of hour in the country but investment in education, health, science and technology should have been made to compete with rest of the world.
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