DERA GHAZI KHAN
The parents of about thousands of children at Basti Sabzani and its surrounding areas here have long been waiting for the establishment of a school in the village but to no avail due to the government apathy and anti-education feudal lords, it is learnt.
Most of people of the villagers had voted for the PML-N but the government is apathetic to provide the facility for them, they regretted. The Punjab government claims that it has launched many literacy programmes under which millions of children of especially girls would get free education in the province, and no child would be left uneducated but the reality is different, they added.
“Many schools are alive just in papers as imparting education is not ensured in such schools. Corrupt elements of district educational system are enjoying funding in the name of reforms,” they said. Lack of government interest and powerful feudal system are also biggest barriers to education for the poor in Dera Ghazi Khan, they added.
Political influence in educational institutions especially politically motivated transfers/postings is also a main cause of the worst performance of education system, they said. Due to rising graph of poverty, unemployment and invincible financial condition of the local people, thousands of children have been forced to leave their education and work in inhuman conditions as child labourers.
According to the principle of equity, the government should pay attention to allocate educational funds and establish at least one primary school in Basti Sabzani. To increase literacy, there is great need of dedication and commitment from the government to take long-term policies.
PROJECTS REVIEWED: The construction of a ‘Kidney Transplant and Dialysis Unit’ at Bahawal Victoria Hospital is in final stage with the spending of Rs1.17 billion, an official said.
A directive has been issued by Punjab chief minister for the provision of Rs18 million more funds for the completion of the project. It is expected that the department would be made functional this year.
Bahawalpur Commissioner Saqib Zafar expressed these thoughts while addressing a meeting held to review various projects in BVH and Quaid e Azam Medical College Bahawalpur.
It was told in the meeting that the government had issued funds of Rs600 million for the construction of Medical College in Bahawalnagar and the mega project’s construction would be given to the well-known construction companies.
It was further told in the meeting that for the Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Block’s construction, the government had provided funds of Rs100 million and approval for the project had been given in a Provincial Working Committee’s meeting.
It was told in the meeting that the government had approved the funds of Rs22 million for the establishment of the intensive care unit in BVH Bahawalpur.
He directed the concerned officials to ensure the completion of construction work on time by ensuring the use of quality material in the projects.
In another meeting, the commissioner approved the construction and maintenance of 58 roads with a Rs620 million in accordance with Sugar Cane Development Cess Fund.
He said that completion of roads according to high standards be ensured to provide convenience to the agriculturists in transportation of goods to sugar mills from rural areas. He added that in the construction and restoration of roads, load management be considered and construction work be done according to the weight of the sugarcane trolleys.
He said that to monitor the developmental projects method of third party monitoring will be adopted and in this matter negligence will not be tolerated.