Encroachment: SHC asks why illegal encroachment was not removed from school

Govt Boys and Girls School in Muhammad Khan Soomro village suffers.

KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court asked the Advocate General of Sindh to prepare a report about why nothing was done to remove illegal construction from the premises of a public school in Thatta.

On Friday, Chief Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh heard the case. The bench passed the order after it went through a report by the district and sessions judge of Thatta, according to which there was illegal construction on the premises of Government Boys and Girls School in Muhammad Khan Soomro village.

The bench had ordered the district judge to inspect the school after a petition was filed by Syed Manzoor Ali Shah, the ex-nazim of Bello union council, Sujawal taluka, against the secretary of education, the district officer of education, works and services department and others. It alleged that the tenders for renovating the school were awarded on a political basis.

The report by the judge stated that the school building collapsed 10 to 15 years ago and the area was occupied by villagers who constructed houses on its property.

The education officials said that the MNA had promised an alternate plot and they would start renovation once the plot was made available.

The petitioner maintained that the school premises were occupied by MNA Abdul Wahab Soomro and the contract for renovation was awarded to Muhammad Usman Soomro.

He also pointed out that the actual cost of building the school was Rs1 million, while Rs2 million were earmarked for its renovation. He gave the example of a non-governmental organisation which repaired two schools at a cost of Rs1.7 million in the same area.

The bench put off the case till a new date is decided for the hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2011.