Students paying price for unpaid power bills

KARACHI  - The Finance Department of Government of Sindh, has once again failed to pay electricity dues amounting to Rs20 million of around 40 public colleges that may result in power disconnection, The Nation has learned. 
A senior official in Sindh Education Department, on condition of anonymity, said that the Sindh Government has become habitual of not paying dues on time and the students are made to face the music. “Public colleges have faced power suspension on account of non payments previously too and the power supply to these 40 colleges may be suspended in future,” said the official. 
On the other hand, K-Electric has showed no mercy even to students of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Part-I & II Annual Examinations who are attempting exams without electricity.
Around 70 to 80 per cent examination centres are in the grip of massive loadshedding in boiling temperatures, as students are reported to be fainting during exams.
Prof Iftikhar Azami, a central leader of Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), said that during former Sindh Senior Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq’s time, college education suffered a lot, and his polices were weak. He said the former education minister has removed various funds of colleges that were collected from students at time of admission. He removed utility funds, college management committee fund and library funds, now due to his polices public colleges are in severe crises. Conversely, he condemned the apathetic behavior of the K-Electricity, and said that the government should have played its due role.   
On nonpayment of electricity dues, Directorate Colleges Sindh has already clarified that this is matter of Finance Department of Government of Sindh to pay all dues of colleges to K-Electric so that the public colleges could be kept away from the possible disconnection of power supply.  
Board of Intermediate Education Karachi extends form submission date: Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) on Sunday extended examinations form submission date. According to BIEK controller of examination Muhammad Imran Khan Chishti, the board had extended dates for acceptance of examination forms for Commerce private, Humanities (regular and private) Groups, Diploma in Physical Education including improvement of division, benefit cases and additional subjects for the HSC-I, part-II or combined annual examination 2014. The students could submit their examinations form along with RS 1,000 late fee during May 5 to 8, 2014.

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