MANSEHRA: Provincial Food Minister Shujah Salim Khan Saturday said the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) had dropped the reconstruction of Mansehra Girls Degree College of its plan and now the building would be reconstructed by the provincial government and funds would shortly be released.

This he said while speaking at the launching of BS Honours degree programme at the college.

The minister said so far the BS honours programme had been launched only in the Mardan College and the Mansehra Degree College for women was next in the province where this four-year programme was being initiated.

Shujah Salim Khan said for the first time in the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government was giving top priority to women s education. He said province could not be put on way to progress till women were empowered through education.

The minister said that during the last three years the provincial government had increased the number of women colleges from one to three in Mansehra district and 17 girls schools were upgraded to higher secondary level.Daily Times.