GUJRAT: Two degree colleges will be established in rural areas of Gujrat district as the Punjab government has formally approved their establishment.

The construction of a new academic block in a women college and establishment of a computer laboratory in another degree college for women have also been approved.

The provincial government has also approved funds worth Rs301 million for these projects, however, the approval by the Higher Education Department of Punjab is awaited to initiate the construction.

The most important schemes of the above-mentioned four projects is the government`s plan of estab-lishing a women degree college at Dandi Dara, a far-flung village of Sara-iAlamgir tehsil, known for its backwardness in the entire Gujrat district. A sum of Rs110m has been allocated for the college.

The other project is the establishment of a boys degree college at Deona Mandi, the area located along the main GT Road between Gujrat and Lalamusa. The estimated cost of the college is Rs108m.

The construction of a new academic blocl<, costing Rs75m, at the women degree college in Kotla Arab Ali Khan has also been approved to accommodate the rising number of students in the area. An amount of Rs8m has been approved to set up a computer laboratory in the Dinga women degree college.