Necessary measures: Rs15b okayed for dilapidated school buildings in Punjab

Funds to be released after final list of schools is provided to government


Fawad Ali May 31, 2015
Rs15 billion for rehabilitation of dilapidated school buildings across the province. STOCK IMAGE

RAWALPINDI: The Government of Punjab has approved Rs15 billion for rehabilitation of dilapidated school buildings across the province.

The district education departments are directed to prepare a list of schools needing immediate attention.

The funds will be released to each district after the district building departments provide final list of dilapidated school buildings to the provincial government.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the Executive Education Officer (Education), Qazi Zahoorul Haq confirmed approval of the fund adding they had identified schools, which needed rehabilitation.“The survey by the education department found 384 schools that need immediate rehabilitation,” the EDO said.

He said the list was forwarded to the building departments who would prepare the final list. “After that funds would be released,” added Haq.

Officials at the department expected that the fund would be released before the budget and the construction work would be launched without any further delay.

The teaching community has appreciated the project saying it was better late than never. “In the past similar surveys were conducted but no funds were approved to improve the condition of the school buildings posing serious threat to the children and the teachers,” said Punjab Teachers Union General Secretary Rana Liaquat.

The schools include primary, middle, elementary, high and higher secondary-level educational institutes.

An education department official said around 50 per cent of schools did not have toilets in Rawalpindi and around 150 lack boundary walls.

“We are in a habit of taking steps always after a disaster happens. We are still not sure whether funds will be released or it is just an election stunt,” said the official.

The official said that availability of toilets, furniture, drinking water and electricity would also be a focus. He said that the provincial government would allocate a separate fund for playgrounds and restoration of existing playgrounds in all schools.

In 2009, the Government of Punjab directed the Education Planning and Management (EPM) to carry out survey of schools across the province and prepare a list of school buildings in dilapidated state.

The EPM with the help of the district education department found around 2,700 schools with buildings in dilapidated state in the province. After the survey, the provincial government led by the Chief Minister, Shehbaz Sharif promised to approve funds but the promise was not fulfilled.

Officials at the department said that the provincial government had earmarked around Rs55 million, which were yet to be released.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2015.

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