Missing utility bills: Hostel students turn hostile for gas, water, electricity

Medical students protest three days without basic amenities .

SUKKUR:

Three days of living in a hostel without water, gas and electricity in this heat finally drove hordes of angry students to the streets on Wednesday.

Boycotting all classes, the students of Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College in Sukkur held a demonstration on campus. The angry students, led by the Peoples Student Federation (PSF), shouted slogans against the college administration. Some of the more furious protesters burnt tyres while others damaged property and set it on fire as well.

PSF President Mansoor Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the medical college did not have its own accommodation for students, so it had rented a hostel from the Public School, Sukkur. Four students shared one room and each paid Rs2,000 per month.

He said the college administration was “lazy” and “corrupt” and had not been paying utility bills to the public school for the last 11 months, “even though the students are paying the rent on time”.

The public school administration got tired of waiting and finally disconnected electricity, gas and water to the hostel three days ago.

“The weather is becoming hotter every day and living without these basic facilities is nearly impossible,” Ahmed complained.

The students have to get drinking water from the public school mosque, which is located quite far from the hostel. Nobody can make food in the hostels because there is no gas and so, the students have to eat all their meals at hotels, he added.

Ahmed said that they told the principal, Ghulam Qadir Kaheri, about the problems but “instead of addressing the issues, he left for Karachi this morning”.

Vice-principal Qarib Abbas Shah, however, met with the protesting students and assured them the bills would be paid.

The students were not completely content with the promise and warned that if the utilities were not restored by today (Thursday), they would boycott classes and continue to protest.

Meanwhile, principal Kaheri rebuffed allegations of corruption. He told The Express Tribune that he had to go to Karachi for a meeting. “We pay the utility bills to the public school very regularly. Sometimes, the money is delayed by a couple of days.” He maintained that the cheque was ready and the problem would be sorted out “within a couple of hours”. Public School Sukkur Principal was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th,  2011.