SWAT:
You are not winning any hearts or minds if two years on, the government has yet to commence work on reconstructing schools in Swat.
Between 2007 and 2009, Taliban militants blew up a total of 401 schools in the valley, predominantly girls’ schools, disrupting education for 87,000 children. Once the region was cleared of militants following a military operation, the provincial reconstruction, rehabilitation and settlement authority (PaRRSA) initiated work on rebuilding 87 schools. To this day, the only ‘structures’ on ground are project information boards, strewn across cement and gravel, while the future of more than 25,000 children hangs in balance.
The culprit? Over-regulating donor agencies or shoddy contractors, depending on whom you ask.
Funds aplenty, work zilch
Soon after peace was restored in Swat, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided $25 million for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Swat, including the 87 schools, in December 2009. The funds for schools were subsequently handed over to PaRRSA, to ensure quick reconstruction, but a year on, things have yet to move beyond the foundation phase.
The slow pace of work on reconstruction has sparked a war of words between the contractors and PaRRSA, with both parties hurling accusations at each other.
“Contractors are responsible for the slow progress,” said a government official on condition of anonymity. “Every contract we have signed stipulates that work will be completed, on each and every school, in 12 months. If the contractors fail to do so, they will be fined and blacklisted,” the official added.
The contractors air their grievances, when contacted by The Express Tribune, and place the blame squarely on the team of engineers appointed by PaRRSA for monitoring the reconstruction process.
The engineers don’t know how to work with construction drawings or maps, alleges president of the contractors’ association, Mansoor Durrani.
“Each of their tests takes three to four months during which our work remains suspended. They only ask us to buy materials from the people of their choice,” he said.
“We were not informed of the formalities before the awarding of the contract. If we knew about them, we would have given different rates and timeframe,” he added.
The formalities they complain about is the monitoring system set by the donor agency, the USAID, said spokesperson for PaRRSA Adnan Khan while talking to the media.
The schools have been funded by USAID, and therefore the donor agency has a legal right to set the monitoring criteria, Khan said.
Meanwhile, the only ones suffering are the students.
“Girls cannot be educated under an open sky,” said a female teacher at the Girls Primary School Ningolai.
“More than half of our students have already dropped out while more are leaving,” she said.
(edited by gulraiz khan)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2011.
COMMENTS (6)
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$25 million USAID Girls Education program in Swat Pakistan fails. NCHD would have done it in less time, less money for more girls.
It's simple -- fire the contractor and black list them - that's the whole purpose of initiating the contract requiring the schools to be completed within one year. Better yet --- hire some American's to build the schools --- won't employ your contractors but at least your children will have nice schools rather than the money being waste on corrupt contractors.
It is becoming very common that in Swat and surroundings many gender cases have been reported since last month. Police has registered many cases of such crimes. Almost 20 days ago the dead bodies of a young couple were found, followed by killing of two ladies in Sakhra on 01/09/2011,than on 08/09/2011 a young lady and her kid were reported to die due to heavy flood in a Nullah but later on the father of that lady claimed it a murder by his son in law, on 14/09/2011 two ladies were rushed to hospital who had tried suicide by eating venomous medicines and today according to a recent report just few hours ago a young couple who got married last night at Barikot were found dead in the room early morning. The main reason behind the support of Taliban by locals may that they may want to control their females by implementing Islamic laws under Talibanisation.
A serious matter of concern.
Shah Nawaz is right in his remarks. there is only a waste of children time
for 117 schools parsa promise with swat education that we will be rebuit that schools but however the speed is too slow as compare to army 38 schools which is funded by UAE govt ,great issue which need to arrise up because thousend of children deprived from education and increasing the draft ratio in govt school due to un avaialibality of proper building of school