Students expelled for not paying school dues

Children earlier absolved from having to pay tuition fees, being expelled for being unable to pay now.

GILGIT: People affected by the Attabad Lake disaster have complained that their children are being expelled from schools for not being able to pay their dues.

“The government had declared Attabad disaster-hit and absolved victims from having to pay tuition fees. But now the names of the students are being struck off for not paying school fees,” said Aziz Muhammad and Jehangir Shah on Sunday.The two residents of Gojal have set up the Gojal Youth Organisation to settle the problems faced by the people of the affected areas.

In the wake of the landslide that had killed 20 people and rendered over 4,000 homeless in Attabad Hunza at the beginning of the year, the government had declared Hunza-Gojal “calamity-hit” areas. The residents of the areas were provided several concessions, exemption from paying tuition fee being one of them. As a result, for the past six months, residents had not paid school fees.

“It’s the second disaster following the landslide,” said Muhammad and Shah referring to the school management’s decision.  They criticised Mutabiat Shah, a member of the education committee for the disaster hit area, for not helping. “We urge Education Minister Dr Ali Madad Sher and Mutabiat Shah to fulfill their ethical responsibility,” they said.

Members of the Gojal Youth Organisation threatened to take to the streets if their ‘appeals’ are not taken seriously.

Due to Sunday being a holiday, the government’s point of view could not be gathered.

Travel costs

Qurban Ali, another resident of Gojal, told the media that boat owners ferrying people on Attabad Lake are charging Rs100 per passenger.

Earlier, the government had allowed the residents of the affected areas to travel across the 23 kilometre-long lake without paying the fare as 25,000 people were stranded in Gojal following the blockade of the Karakoram Highway.

“The government should stick to their claims instead of playing hide-and-seek with the affected people,” said Ali, adding that the transportation cost weighs heavily on their meagre resources.

He asked the government to arrange for a free bus service up to the lake, adding that people will protest if the “delays” continue.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2010.