LAHORE – The Rs150 million-Government College of Commerce project hits snags because of slackness on part of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), which has failed to install transformer at the college for the past six months.
The college was built on a 30-kanal piece of land in E-Block of Sabzazar early this year. A teacher of the college said the administration had deposited Rs500,000 for the installation of the transformer six months ago, but nothing had been done so far in this regard. He added the college students and teachers had to spend the summers in scorching heat before the commencement of vacations.  They were likely to undergo further ordeal if immediate steps were not taken to provide the transformer for the power supply to the college having 20 classrooms, including eight computer labs, libraries and teachers’ rooms, the teacher said.
“The missing facilities including electricity, drinking water, toilets, sewerage and sanitation have made this premises a hell,” the teacher remarked. He said the students had to fetch drinking water from a distance outside the college.  The Government College of Commerce, Sabzazar, is a legacy of the prestigious Hashmi Memorial College of Commerce set up in 1966 and nationalised in 1972; and renamed as Government College of Commerce, Sabzazar, in 2008. Since its nationalisation, the college has been shifted from one place to another, including Jail Road, Samanabad, Township and a rented house in C-Block, Sabzazar, from where it was finally shifted to the newly-built building in E-Block, Sabzazar.  About 400 students are studying in the college and they will resume their studies after the summer vacations. The college administration also plans to start more disciplines of commerce and IT education including BCom, FA, ICS BA, BSc, BIT etc. The college caters the need of higher education to the students of Sabzazar, Jamil Town, Iqbal Town, Multan Road and Bund Road.