A spokesman of Education Department Punjab has said that the Punjab government is providing cash prizes and other facilities to the position holder students and their teachers in matric and intermediate examinations for the last four years. He said that cash prizes amounting to Rs.four lakh, three lakh and two lakh are being awarded to the first, second and third position holder respectively. He said that Rs.two lakh are being given to the teacher of the students enjoying first position while Rs.1.5 lakh to the teacher of second position holder and Rs.one lakh to the teacher of third position holder aimed at encouraging students and their teachers.
In response to a private TV channel report, the spokesman said that on the special instructions of Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif Punjab government has started this practice for the last four years that the students holding first three positions in matric and intermediate examinations are declared as the state guest. The position holders are presented guard of honour besides boarding and lodging at State Guest House Murree every year, the spokesman said.
The spokesman made it clear that under Shahbaz Sharif Scholarship programme, position holders are provided scholarships at their homes without any application and an amount of Rs.1.25 billion has so far been distributed among fifty thousand male and female students. He said that position holders are also sent to visit educational institutions abroad by the Punjab government in June every year aimed at creating awareness among them about Cambridge, Howard and other educational institutions in Heidelberg. A ceremony will soon be held at Chief Minister’s Secretariat in the honour of position holder male and female students in which Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif will himself will award cash prizes to these students, concluded the spokesman.