MPAs slam govt for reneging on BS programme

Say Jam Kamal govt is doing injustice to students in remote areas

QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly members on Friday criticised the government decision to cut the number of colleges for BS degree programme to 52.

The government had announced that it would introduce BS degree programme in 74 colleges in the province, but then cut down the number of colleges to just 22.

Speaking on a calling-attention notice, Sana Baloch, the parliamentary leader of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), said that by reducing the number of colleges for BS programme, the provincial government was doing injustice to students living in remote areas.

He asked the government to come up with a clear reply over its plans to resume the BS programme in the remaining 52 colleges.

Taking part in the debate, Mir Younus Zehri of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said the provincial government started the BS programme and appointed 14 teachers on ad hoc basis but they were not given their salaries for two months and the programme was closed.

Provincial Minister for Agriculture Engineer Zamrak Khan Achakzai acknowledged the importance of BS programme in the province.

“The provincial government has announced appointing teachers through the Public Service Commission, and the education department will not be neglected by the Jam Kamal government,” he said.

MPA Nasrullah Khan Zeeray tabled a resolution for debate over the decreasing water levels in the country. He stressed the need for constructing dams in Balochistan in view of the drought fears in major parts of the province.

“Hundreds of thousands acres of agricultural land in Balochistan is drying up, and water level has been rapidly decreasing across the province,” he said, adding that people in large numbers might migrate from the province.

Achakzai, the agriculture minister, replied that the previous regimes in the province did not take any steps to address the issue of drought. He blamed the previous government for neglecting the construction of new dams.

JUI-F’s parliamentary leader Malik Sikandar Advocate, in his calling-attention notice, discussed the vulnerable condition of Hajj pilgrims from Balochistan. He said the provincial government must seek explanation from the Federal Religious Affairs Department over the treatment meted out to them.

“Pilgrims from Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Rahim Yar Khan were provided all traveling facilities but our people were in distress as they landed in Karachi airport instead of Quetta,” he said.