SIALKOT - As many as 1,190 out of Sialkot district's 1,539 villages have been deprived of public sector primary schools since the creation of Pakistan, it is learnt.
As a result, over 250,000 boys and girls have been deprived of their right to education at local level. Government primary schools are established in only 349 villages and the rest have been deprived of the facility since the establishment of Pakistan. The situation exposes the height of negligence of the local elected political representatives in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils.
Local social, religious, educational and political circles have expressed grave concern over the critical situation. No one had ever felt the need of establishing government primary schools in these villages, they added.
They urged Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Commissioner Gujranwala Muhammad Asif and Deputy Commissioner Dr Farrukh Naveed to look into the matter in the large interest of the local students.
According to the senior officials of the Sialkot Education Department, there are only 91 government boys primary schools in 575 villages of Sialkot tehsil, 107 primary schools in 250 villages of Daska tehsil, 109 primary schools in 559 villages of Pasrur tehsil and 42 primary schools in 155 villages of Sambrial tehsil.
The miserable situation negates the high claims of Sialkot district administration to promote quality education in Sialkot district under the "Parha Likha Punjab Programme" initiated by the Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
When contacted, District Education Authority CEO Maqbul Ahmed Shakir said that the education department would establish schools in these villages if the local people formally forward their demands.
On the other side, Commissioner Muhammad Asif has said that the government was making efforts for the modernisation of agriculture sector and for the betterment of the growers and farmers.
He stated this while addressing an important meeting of the growers, farmers and agricultural department officials held here today. The commissioner added that the government was also distributing the farm machinery to the growers for showing their good performance in getting their maximum per acre yields of the vegetables and even of the fruits by holding competitions.
He said that the agriculture was playing a key role in strengthening the national economy and government was making strenuous efforts to modernize the agricultural sector and boost the agro-based economy in the country. He said that the government was providing the maximum facilities and subsidies to the famers and growers enabling them to improve their per acre yield as well.
A Sambrial based farmer Mohsin Javaid Malhi clinched first position in Sialkot district while growing the maximum crops of the potatoes in this region by utilizing the advance farm machinery and techniques. Commissioner gave him the first prize of a land leveler machine.
TRAINING: A three-day special training programme for the rescuers concluded. DEO Syed Kamal and other senior instructors gave special lectures to the participating rescuers. He said that these lectures could be useful in showing tolerance towards patients and their attendants.
RAIN FLOODS LOW-LYING AREAS: Widespread heavy rain followed by windstorm and hailing lashed the Sialkot district here Friday. It badly affected the electricity and communication systems in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial Pasrur, Badiana, Chawinda, Zafarwal and surrounding areas due to which the electricity remained suspended for almost the whole day.
Rain started early Friday morning which remained continued for whole of the day. All the low-lying urban and rural areas were inundated with rainwater while all the roads and streets were blanketed in hails.