ISLAMABAD: A legislative body of Senate (Upper House) on Tuesday demanded the government to increase the budget allocation for ministry of science and technology to cater Pakistan’s requirement regarding science and technology. Reportedly, the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology recommended increasing the budget allocated to the ministry and 16 organisations working with it. The committee expressed grave concerns over the alarmingly 0.00025 percent of GDP being spent on the science and technology sector, and urged for immediate reforms for its growth by increasing GDP allocation to 4 percent. The committee observed that for the year 2017-18, the ministry was given a total of Rs 6.394 billion as non-development budget and Rs 2.497 billion as development budget. Senator Mushtaq Ahmed presided over the meeting at the Parliament House. Besides, senators including Nuzhat Sadiq, Gianchand, Faisal Javed Khan, Dilawar Khan, and Caretaker Minister for Science and Technology, Science and Technology Secretary and chairmen of many organisations working with the ministry also participated in the meeting. Furthermore, the committee concluded that Pakistan has been suffering through an acute water shortages, power crises and drastic climate changes. “If urgent measures are not formulated and implemented, the country may face disastrous consequences,” the meeting concluded. Mushtaq Ahmed stressed that scientific and technological reforms have proved to be a decisive factor while responding to lack of natural resources and strategic location of many countries. “Many countries have adopted new scientific methods to cope with water shortages, and other national crisis,” he remarked while adding that despite being a nuclear state, Pakistan faces power shortfall and has been declared a water scarce country. Committee members urged the ministry to raise awareness about new technology that is available for saving water and other natural resources. Later, the committee was given a presentation on the collaboration of ministry with academic institutions including NUST, COMSATS, Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, Pakistan Science Foundation, National Institute of Oceanography, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies, Council for Working and Housing Research, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, National Institute of Electronics and others. Furthermore, the committee emphasised to provide opportunities to young scientists for adopting innovative methodologies, and formulate a 10-year plan for implementing reforms in the sector of science and technology, to outline specifics of human resource requirement, to perform feasibility study of the proposed projects and develop funds and budget plan after constructing road map of the projects. Moreover, the committee directed the ministry to retrieve and present the details of all eatable products that are being imported in the country, with declaration of whether these are Halal or Haram. The committee resolved to devise a plan and strategy to prevent 60 percent loss of water in the agriculture sector, to collect and use rain water and recycle sea water through desalination and reverse osmosis. Published in Daily Times, June 13th 2018.