DG colleges, education officers suspended

Shortly after the recent actions against corrupt revenue officials, Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has suspended the director general of colleges, as well as the principal and vice principal of a college over "negligence, lack of interest, and failure to promote educational activities".

The CM took the decision following a surprise visit to Government Girls Degree College Al-Noor, District Central. He was accompanied by Education Minister Rana Hussain and Secretary Colleges Sadaf Anees on Tuesday.

During the visit, the CM showed his concern at the poor state of affairs at the college. The classes were not running efficiently, and the condition of the classrooms, furniture, labs, and washrooms left much to be desired. The newly constructed auditorium and function hall were in a dilapidated state due to negligence, with peeling paint and a collapsing ceiling.

Furthermore, the labs were non-functional, with equipment in disrepair, and the washrooms lacked doors and were unsanitary. CM was alarmed by the dire conditions and questioned the DG College, Shadab Hussain, about his visits to the college. Shockingly, the DG admitted to never having visited the college, leaving the CM irate, as this raised concerns about student admissions to a college with such poor facilities.

Upon inquiring about the student enrollment, discrepancies were found between the principal and actual numbers, highlighting a lack of oversight. The principal was unaware of the sanctioned teaching staff strength. When the vice principal was summoned, she too could not provide accurate staff numbers. Additionally, it was revealed that an Islamic Studies lecturer, Ishratul Ain had not performed her duties for a year.

The CM visited classrooms and observed that out of 390 enrolled students, only around 40-50 were in attendance. Most classes were empty, except for one where an English teacher was teaching, earning the CM's appreciation.

Surprisingly, the CM discovered that although the institution was designated as a degree college, it only offered education up to the intermediate level. This raised questions about its status as a degree college when it lacked programmes for BA and BSc degrees.

Shocked by the negligence, inefficiency, and irrelevance at the college, the CM suspended the services of Director General Shadab Hussain (BS-20), Principal Zahida Begum (BS-20), and the vice principal (BS-19). He also took action against Islamic Studies lecturer Ishratul Ain for not performing her duties.

Meanwhile, during his visit to district central, the CM inspected two parks - Bagh-e-Saman and Noorani Park. He expressed dissatisfaction with the state of Bagh-e-Saman, instructing the municipal commissioner of KMC to develop the park and report to him. Regarding Noorani Park, he urged DC cntral Fawad Soomro to develop it within four weeks, recognising the need for more recreational spaces in the densely populated district.

The CM also visited Abuturab Govt Secondary School for Boys and Girls, where he discovered that the school had no clear ownership. Despite having numerous empty classrooms, only two classes were in session. The headmistress could not provide a satisfactory explanation for this situation. The CM instructed the Secretary of Local Government, Manzoor Shaikh, to address the school's issues and report back.

While returning to the CM house, Justice Baqar visited Sindh Govt Hospital Liaquatabad and found better hygienic conditions compared to other places he had visited. He expressed concern over the closure of the old Covid wards for the past two years and directed the hospital's management to repurpose them for other patients.

The CM also inspected the hospital's kitchen, which prepares food for 100 patients twice-a-day. He was dissatisfied with its condition and cleanliness and instructed the administration to renovate it.

He interacted with patients in different OPDs and emergency wards, and also checked the pharmacy store. At the end of his visit, he directed Secretary of Health Dr Manzoor Rizvi to renovate the hospital's entrance, which presented a gloomy and unwelcoming appearance.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2023.