School building retrieved from illegal occupants

Sindh Ombudsman Ajaz Ali Khan has got the building of a government-run retrieved from ‘tenants’ after taking suo motu action on a report titled, "school building rented out to tenants", published in the January 12 edition of The Express Tribune.

According to a handout issued by the Provincial Ombudsman Office, it was found during the suo motu proceedings that Ebrahim Ali Bhai Boys Secondary School, Azizabad, Federal B Area, Block-10 had been completed in 2016, but the School Education Department has so far failed to take over the school building despite the lapse of six years.

As a result, children were being deprived of such a huge school facility, states the handout. It also transpired that the contractor had illegally occupied the building for his private business and had even allowed his private watchmen to live with their families in the halls of the school meant for labs. Moreover, the contractor had also illegally occupied three rooms of the Boys Secondary School on the said premises. During the proceedings, the School Education (ES&HS) director and the Education Works superintending engineer were directed to clarify the reasons for not taking over the building. Subsequently, the department got the school building vacated from the contractor and started regular classes there.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2023.