LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday said that money recovered from perpetrators of Bank of Punjab scandal would be utilised for the uplift of education sector. Addressing inaugural ceremony of Punjab IT Labs Project at Govt. Girls Model High School, Model Town, here, the CM deplored that national resources were ruthlessly looted in the last era, and only Bank of Punjab was robbed of Rs.9 billion. He announced to spend the recovered amount on various projects in education sector. He said that Bank of Punjab was robbed of Rs.9 billion but PCO judges not only stopped Punjab government from arresting Hamesh Khan but also arranged his escape from the country. He said that connivance between judges and thieves was indeed disastrous for any country. He said that the money of Punjab Bank was a public property and it will be recovered and utilised on the uplift of education sector. He said that foundation of a revolution has been laid in education sector through setting up of computer labs in 4286 schools of the province at a cost of five billion rupees and the young generation will now be able to benefit from information technology and play its role in national development and prosperity. He said that 34 lakh students will be able to acquire IT education each year under Punjab IT Labs project. He said that all out resources were being utilised for the benefit of the masses and merit, good governance and rule of law has been ensured. Assembly Members, former finance minister Sartaj Aziz, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary Education, Vice Chancellors of various universities, principals, teachers and a large number of students were present on the occasion. It merits mention here that Shahbaz Sharif is the first chief minister who visited a girls high school and inaugurated an IT lab project there. The CM said that he had attended the oath-taking ceremony a few days ago of 36000 educators recruited first time in the history of the country on the basis of merit and eligibility and his participation in the historic project of IT Labs had increased his happiness manifold. He said that the model project of IT Labs had been completed in a highly transparent manner in a record period of 110 days. He said that the new generation will now be able to benefit from modern knowledge through internet which will polish its talent. He said that this project will also help bridge the digital divide between public and private schools and result in improvement in the standard of education of public schools. He said that computer labs have been set up in 1400 schools of Southern Punjab under this project. Shahbaz aid time had come for maintaining a balance in the distribution of resources and basic facilities would be provided to the poor and downtrodden segment of the society as they have as much right over national resources as the elite classes. He said that some circles were of the view the subsidy of Rs.8 billion given under Ramzan Package should have been utilized on the construction of roads, hospitals and schools but in a country where people were groaning under poverty, where literacy rate was as low as 45 per cent, and crores of people lacked food, medicines and educational facilities, such monuments of development would have been meaningless. He said that government had taken short-term measures for the welfare of the masses and a comprehensive plan has been evolved for uplift of people under which vocational education is being promoted. The CM further said that he had introduced internet in 1998 for the promotion of information technology and progress was being made in this direction when a dictator toppled the democratic government and destroyed the entire system. He said that corruption and highhandedness were rampant in the dictatorial era. He said that the rulers of the recent past managed to provide computers in only five schools in three years and that too were substandard. He said that credit goes to the present government which has completed IT Lab project in a record period and this project is a complete package which also includes master trainers, trainers maintenance of computers and cooperation of international companies. He said that projects like IT Labs and recruitment of educators on merit will help Pakistan regain its lost status. He said that former government did a great injustice by wasting public money to the tune of Rs.02 billion on the construction of a palatial Secretariat for Chief Minister little caring for the fact that this amount could have been spent on the development of education, health and other sectors. He said that he had announced setting up of an IT University in this majestic building but the bureaucracy was of the view that it was not suitable for this purpose due to security and other reasons. He said that he had also been advised to use this grand building but how could he do so as billions of rupees of public money were wasted on its construction. He said that he has not given up his original idea and if he was not able to set up IT University in this building some other location will be selected for this purpose. He thanked Punjab cabinet and assembly members for giving approval to IT Labs and other projects of public welfare. He further said that sacrifices made by armed forces, law enforcement agencies and the public for the elimination of terrorism and extremism will not go in vain. The Chief Minister paid rich tributes to Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary and their entire team for the completion of IT Labs project in a record period of time. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated IT Labs project at Govt. Girls Model High School by pressing the button of computer.