RDA halts action against illegal schools

Students will be able to complete academic year ending on April 30

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has suspended action against all illegal educational institutions till the end of the academic year 2024.

According to an RDA spokesman, the Land Use and Building Control Wing of the RDA suspended actions on the requests of the owners of the schools so that students could complete their calendar year.

He said the decision had been taken on the directives of RDA Director General Kinza Murtaza. In light of the decision, all school owners who have set up schools in residential buildings without approvals have been directed to immediately get their schools regularised as per law or stop the illegal use of buildings in residential areas.

The school owners have also been instructed to submit an affidavit within 15 days to the RDA that they are ready to get their illegal schools regularised or stop the illegal use of the buildings.

According to the spokesman, the owners of the buildings will have to pay Rs1,000 fine per day until the schools are regularised or the buildings being used for commercial purposes are vacated.

He said that since the owners of illegal schools have not filed the affidavit yet, they are given a last chance in this regard to file the affidavit within seven days, otherwise legal action will be taken against them and the school will be closed, while fine will also be imposed.

The term of the academic year 2024 will be till April 30," he added. If the affidavit isn’t submitted within seven days, legal action would be taken against the violators and the schools would be closed, the spokesman maintained.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2024.