Punjab

Rs1.2b sought for education projects

Directorate of colleges proposes projects to address admission issues in Rawalpindi

Qaiser Shirazi March 06, 2024

The chairpersons of five educational boards of the province will retire on Monday, September 30, 2019. These include the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Larkana, BISE, Sukkur, Sindh Board of Technical Education, Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi (BIEK) and Secondary Education Board, Karachi. (Photo: File)

RAWALPINDI:

In response to the pressing issue of admissions in colleges, the Rawalpindi Directorate of Colleges has formally requested permission and financial support for new projects.

The move aims to accommodate four-year BS programmes in four newly proposed colleges and two upgraded colleges within the district.

Substantial funding of Rs1.2 billion has been sought for the crucial projects, which have already received approval in the annual development program (ADP) for 2023-24. However, the execution of the project faced a setback when the caretaker government, now defunct, suspended the allocated funds in August 2023.

The proposed construction cost for Government Associate Boys College Kuntrila Gujar Khan is Rs300 million, Government Associate Girls College Rakh Sarkar Rawalpindi Rs200 million, Government Associate Boys College Karor Kotli Sattian Rs200 million, and Government Associate Girls College Murree Rs200 million.

Additionally, the cost of the new BS block in upgraded colleges, including Government Associate College Kallar Syedan, is estimated at Rs180 million, while Government Associate Girls College Gujar Khan is also allocated Rs180 million.

To expedite the process, urgent permission has been sought from the Punjab Higher Education Commission. The envisioned timeline for the completion of the new BS block construction is set at 120 days, aligning with plans to commence new admissions in the upcoming August-September session.

Director of Colleges Sher Ahmad Satti emphasised that the city of Rawalpindi itself does not suffer from a shortage of colleges. Instead, the focus is on those tehsils within the district currently facing a deficit in educational institutions.

The plan is not only to increase the number of colleges in these tehsils but also to enhance the capacity for new student admissions in the upcoming academic year. This strategic move aims to address the existing crisis in admissions, providing educational opportunities to a larger population within the district.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2024.