SHC orders increased funds for ‘dangerous’ school buildings
Nearly 8,000 government schools in Sindh pose risks for students, teachers and staff
PHOTO: EXPRESS
HYDERABAD:
With nearly 8,000 government school buildings in Sindh classified as dangerous, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the provincial government to enhance budgetary allocation and honest utilisation of maintenance and repair funds.
The Hyderabad Circuit Bench on Monday issued its detailed judgment in two identical petitions filed by residents of Badin and Matiari districts with regard to 'dangerous' schools buildings. The last hearing of the case was held on December 10, 2019.
"[An allocation of] 25 percent each from the District Development Fund, Bonus Production Fund and Social Welfare Fund in every district in the province shall be allocated and utilised … for maintenance and repair of the government school buildings," the court ordered.
The provincial government has also been directed to conduct quarterly auditing of these funds through the Sindh chief secretary and accountant general. The audit reports are to be submitted to the SHC in Karachi on a quarterly basis.
"… the utilisation and disbursement of funds must be absolutely free from whimsical or arbitrary exercise of political influence or personal projection," the order reads.
The SHC also cautioned the government to assign only honest, reliable and competent officers with good reputations and unblemished records to manage the funds and to oversee the works.
The court observed that despite the severity of issue and the fact that the lives of the students, teachers and the staff at the schools were endangered, the provincial government had so far acted with indifference. "As the situation is extremely alarming and sensitive, the Sindh government will certainly have to do better than before by taking urgent, sincere, aggressive and extraordinary measures."
In a report submitted by Sindh school education and literacy secretary Ahsan Ali Mangi, the court was apprised that 7,956 school buildings in the province had been classified as dangerous. As many as 527 of these buildings are in Badin, while 150 are in Matiari district.
According to Mangi, the provincial government allocated Rs3 billion for the repair and maintenance works of schools in the fiscal year 2019-20. However, he added, 90 per cent of that budget is spent on regular maintenance and repair while only 10 per cent is used on the dangerous school buildings.
In his proposals for enhancing the funding, Mangi suggested that 25 per cent of the Rs20 billion allocation for the District Development Budget should be spent on the schools. Currently, he revealed, between 80 per cent to 85 per cent of that budget was being consumed by road projects alone.
"If 25 percent is fixed for schools' maintenance and repair, it will resolve this issue substantially," he asserted.
Similarly, he said, 25 per cent of the funds collected from the oil and gas companies under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes should also be allocated and used for the schools.
The SHC disposed of both the petitions with directives for compliance by the provincial government.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2020.
With nearly 8,000 government school buildings in Sindh classified as dangerous, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the provincial government to enhance budgetary allocation and honest utilisation of maintenance and repair funds.
The Hyderabad Circuit Bench on Monday issued its detailed judgment in two identical petitions filed by residents of Badin and Matiari districts with regard to 'dangerous' schools buildings. The last hearing of the case was held on December 10, 2019.
"[An allocation of] 25 percent each from the District Development Fund, Bonus Production Fund and Social Welfare Fund in every district in the province shall be allocated and utilised … for maintenance and repair of the government school buildings," the court ordered.
The provincial government has also been directed to conduct quarterly auditing of these funds through the Sindh chief secretary and accountant general. The audit reports are to be submitted to the SHC in Karachi on a quarterly basis.
"… the utilisation and disbursement of funds must be absolutely free from whimsical or arbitrary exercise of political influence or personal projection," the order reads.
The SHC also cautioned the government to assign only honest, reliable and competent officers with good reputations and unblemished records to manage the funds and to oversee the works.
The court observed that despite the severity of issue and the fact that the lives of the students, teachers and the staff at the schools were endangered, the provincial government had so far acted with indifference. "As the situation is extremely alarming and sensitive, the Sindh government will certainly have to do better than before by taking urgent, sincere, aggressive and extraordinary measures."
In a report submitted by Sindh school education and literacy secretary Ahsan Ali Mangi, the court was apprised that 7,956 school buildings in the province had been classified as dangerous. As many as 527 of these buildings are in Badin, while 150 are in Matiari district.
According to Mangi, the provincial government allocated Rs3 billion for the repair and maintenance works of schools in the fiscal year 2019-20. However, he added, 90 per cent of that budget is spent on regular maintenance and repair while only 10 per cent is used on the dangerous school buildings.
In his proposals for enhancing the funding, Mangi suggested that 25 per cent of the Rs20 billion allocation for the District Development Budget should be spent on the schools. Currently, he revealed, between 80 per cent to 85 per cent of that budget was being consumed by road projects alone.
"If 25 percent is fixed for schools' maintenance and repair, it will resolve this issue substantially," he asserted.
Similarly, he said, 25 per cent of the funds collected from the oil and gas companies under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes should also be allocated and used for the schools.
The SHC disposed of both the petitions with directives for compliance by the provincial government.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2020.