SAHIWAL: The Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) will build 17 centres of excellence in Punjab with a Rs2 billion budget.

One such excellence centre of food technology will be established in Sahiwal, which is the hub of milk collection both for the dairy industries and farmers.

Khawar Shahzad, chief operating officer, said this at a commissioner`s office meeting on Friday.He said a new technology college at 31 kanals is under construction in Pakpattan. He said 78 percent of the work of the new college has been completed. He said that the Government Technical Training Institute, Chichawatni, would be upgraded to a college. He said a new building with a cost of Rs209.6 million would be built at 58 kanals.

Commissioner Shoaib Iqbal said technical and skill-driven education are the keys to small industryand human development. He hoped new colleges will improve technical and skilled full labour in Sahiwal division, which will benefit both smalland large-scale industries.

ACCIDENT: Two persons were killed when a bus ran them over on Depalpur Road in Pakpattan on Friday.

The driver fled the scene. The deceased were identified as Fayyaz and Ali Ahmed, both residents of 17/SP. Correspondent