Rs181m spent, Dukota Girls College still awaits opening

A government girls' college project launched to provide higher education opportunities close to home for students in Dukota and adjoining rural areas of Mailsi has remained incomplete and non-functional nearly four years after its launch, despite more than Rs181 million having been spent on it.

The Government Associate College for Girls, Dukota, located near Chak 145-WB, was approved on July 27, 2021, at an initial estimated cost of Rs189.08 million. The foundation stone was laid on September 25, 2022.

However, the college has yet to become fully operational, leaving students in the area without the educational facility the project was intended to provide.

According to available government development records, Rs181.549 million had been spent on the project by June 2025, accounting for nearly 96 per cent of its approved cost. Despite this expenditure, the building has not been made fully available for academic activities, raising questions about the project's completion, monitoring, expenditure and the reasons behind the delay.

The prolonged delay has also taken a toll on the partially completed building. Residents said windowpanes had begun to break due to a lack of proper maintenance, while a transformer installed to provide electricity to the facility was allegedly stolen some time ago.

The theft has raised concerns over the protection of government assets and may result in additional expenditure if a new transformer is required before the college can begin functioning.

Local residents Muhammad Irfan Akram, Muhammad Bashir, Akbar Ali, Muhammad Ilyas and Muhammad Usman said opportunities for girls to pursue higher education after matriculation remained extremely limited in the area.

They said long daily journeys, transport costs and social constraints associated with travel often discouraged parents from allowing their daughters to continue their education. Mehr Mumtaz Ahmed Azad, a small farmer and resident of Chak 145-WB, said his daughter was currently studying in matriculation and hoped to become a teacher.

"She is a bright student, and if she gets better opportunities for education, she can build a successful future," he said, adding that a functioning college near their home would help her pursue her ambition.

Muhammad Shahid, a daily-wage worker from the area, said his daughter was studying in first year and had to travel to Mailsi, around 20 kilometres away, to continue her education.

He said travelling by passenger bus every day was difficult and placed an additional financial burden on the family. IMuhammad Aslam Sheikh, a rickshaw driver and father of three daughters, said two of his daughters were studying at a girls' degree college in Tibba Sultanpur, while his third daughter was a matriculation student.

He said the family was making every effort to provide the girls with a good education despite limited financial resources. A functioning college in Dukota, he added, would ease the financial and travel difficulties faced by families in the area.