MANDI BAHAUDDIN-Social circles regretted over government’s indifference and called on the authorities concerned to take immediate notice of education and health issues in the district.
During a survey conducted by this correspondent, the residents of different areas said that the district is constantly being neglected by the authorities. They said that since the government of PML-Q, no development project has been started in the district. They informed this correspondent that the PML-N won all the seats from the district in elections 2013 but the government never paid heed to the basic issues like education and health.
They regretted “Gujrat has an independent university namely University of Gujrat, Jhelum has Punjab University Campus, Sargodha has University of Sargodha but the Mandi Bahauddin is the only district where no university has been established”. They said that people, especially the students, were enthralled when Government College of Technology Rasul was upgraded as University of Engineering and Technology (Rasul) last year and classes were also commenced but after a year, the university was downgraded to college again. They said that it was very disappointing for the people of Mandi Bahauddin and particularly for the students who have to travel other cities for study. Due to absence of a university, the students belong to poor families, leave their study halfway as they can not bear the expenses charged by the universities and hostels located in other cities.
Talking about health situation in the district, they informed that during the PML-Q government, a new DHQ hospital with tertiary facilities was sanctioned and its construction was also started but left halfway. Despite repeated requests by the residents of the area, the project has not been completed yet. “Due to the lack of medical facilities, people have to travel to Lahore and Islamabad for treatment what they cannot afford,” they said.
Social circles called upon the government to set up a Punjab University Campus in Mandi Bahauddin, upgrade the Rasul Technology College to the University of Engineering and Technology and complete the construction of DHQ hospital in the district.