Illegal occupants: 35 schools in 32 villages freed from landlords

Schools expected to start operating next week.

MULTAN:

The district administration has retrieved 35 public schools in 32 villages of Vehari district from illegal occupants.

The repossession operation was carried out on Friday. Of the 35 schools, 25 are girl’s primary schools.

District Coordination Officer Ehsaanullah Bhutta told The Express Tribune that these schools had been illegally occupied by local land lords for as long as 15 years. He said several earlier attempts to free these schools had been halted following murder threats from the occupants.

The district coordination officer said that in most cases the landlords had setup their deras in the schools. He said in other places they had kept their cattle and established residences for peasants and servants quarters there. He said the landlords had built more than 400 houses on the school land. These were demolished on Friday.

He said two administrators had led the operation in Mailsi and Burewala.

Information Officer Majid Ali Shah told The Express Tribune that the district government had approached the court seeking orders to vacate the school buildings and demolish extra constructions. He said the court had given decisions in their favour.

He said two such cases were pending at the High Court, on which, the said a decision was awaiting next week. He said despite court orders, the landlords involved had not willingly let go of the schools.

He said the teachers appointed at these schools had been transferred by the DCO after he received several complaints against them.

Residents of the area said that some of the teachers were party to the occupants. Despite being on government’s payrolls, they said, the teachers did not attend the schools, nor asked the landlords to leave.

He said the schools would soon be cleaned and new teachers appointed.

He said the schools will hopefully start operating next week.

He said more than 20,000 children will benefit from the reopening of schools.

Following the clean-up operation, residents of the area gathered outside the DCO’s office and chanted slogans in his praise.

The DCO asked the residents to inform his office in case they were threatened by any of the landlords. He assured them that they will be provided protection.

He said the district administration officials had been instructed to monitor the teachers and students at the schools once they were operational again.

He said any teacher who supported or facilitated encroachment on or illegal occupation of school would be terminated from service.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2012.