India becomes new Chairman of SAARC Programming Committee

New Delhi, Mar 30 (UNI) India today became the new Chairman of the SAARC Programming Committee which held a marathon day-long session here ahead of the 14th SAARC Summit on April 3-4.

The Programming Committee at its 29th Session, elected Ms Preeti Saran, Joint Secretary, SAARC, in the External Affairs Ministry, as the new Chairperson. Ms Saran took over from Mr Massoud of Bangladesh.

An External Affairs Ministry spokesman said all the member countries of SAARC attended the meeting. Afghanistan, which will formally become the eighth member of the grouping during the 14th Summit, also attended.

The Programming Committee reviewed progress on various Working Groups of the SAARC process. They will prepare a report which will be submitted at the SAARC Standing Committee meeting of Foreign Secretaries of member countries tomorrow.

At the Summit, India will assume the Chairmanship of the SAARC from current Chairman Bangladesh.

The Programming Committee considered reports of various expert groups and working groups on energy, bio-technology, setting up a SAARC Coordinaton Centre for Disease Surveillance, and meeting of Expert Group on Tele-Medicine.

It was suggested that every member country would propose the names of two hospitals which would be tele-linked with hospitals in India. While some countries have given the names of the hospitals, some are still to do so.

The reports of the expert groups on SAARC museum and handicrafts and on setting up of a South Asian University was also considered.

At the last Dhaka Summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had mooted the idea of a South Asian University.

The Committee also discussed the upgradation of infrastructure at the SAARC secretariat in Kathmandu. India proposed Rs 25 Million for the upgradation of conference facilities at the secretariat.

The Committee was actually ''preparing ground work for the next four days,'' the spokesman added.

Foreign Secretaries of the SAARC member countries will meet at the Standing Committee meeting tomorrow.

UNI