HATTIAN BALA (Kashmir English): Civil society leaders in Jhelum Valley district have staged a strong protest against a government decision to relocate three educational institutions, namely Boys Inter College, University Campus, and Model Science College.
Headed by former assembly candidate Maulana Altaf Siddiqui, leaders held an emergency press conference and told the government that the decision will not be accepted at any cost.
Maulana Altaf Siddiqui told the press conference that the approval of the Boys Inter College Hattian Bala was given in 2002, and after the earthquake, a new building was constructed for it with the help of NGOs by purchasing land.
For years, students continued to study in shelters, but now an attempt is being made to snatch the building from the college students.
We completely reject this decision of the government. In 2013, this building was handed over to the college administration, where a peaceful educational environment was provided to the students, Mualana added.
When the university campus was established in 2015, due to the lack of a suitable building, permission was given to use the Boys Inter College building temporarily in the public interest.
According to the agreement, this arrangement was for only three years, but till date, no alternative building has been arranged for the campus. Now three institutions, Boys Inter College, University Campus and Model Science College, are working simultaneously in the same building.
There is severe discrimination in the education system and environment of the three educational institutions. In 2016, the notification of Model Science College was issued and it was inaugurated in the local government office room.
A few days later, the staff of Model Science College also requested the inter-college administration to provide temporary roof and they were also provided with limited space. In this whole situation, the most affected was Model Science College.
Due to the lack of space for Model Science College, the students here were forced to go to Muzaffarabad and could not get admission there.
The governments issued notifications of the institutions but none of them thought about the building of these institutions. If the President of the state can provide notification and space for three medical colleges at a time, then can’t the elected member of the assembly from this constituency, the then Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider, provide space for the university campus and Model Science College in his constituency? We demand that the problem of space for these educational institutions be resolved.
The government should realize its responsibilities, former administrator Nasiruddin Chak said, where are the buildings of educational institutions in Hattian Bala? Alternative land and building should be arranged immediately for the university campus.
He demanded that the Prime Minister and other elected representatives respect the wishes of the people and refrain from making decisions that are hostile to education.
Former Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider, as the Prime Minister, could have solved the problem of the location of the university campus and Model Science College in his district with a single signature, but he adopted a cruel attitude towards education and showed lack of seriousness by proving his hostility to education and forced the students to stumble and fall.
Former Administrator Nasir Chak, Liaquat Ali Awan, and Raja Waqar Ahmed, among other speakers, said that Education Minister Dewan Chughtai has sent a summary on his letter pad to evict college students. We stand by the students.
There are poor and middle-class people in this district, it is difficult for our children to get an education in remote areas like Muzaffarabad.
If a permanent building had been provided for the Model Science College or the University Campus, the students would not have had to suffer this agony. Inter College, Model Science College, and University Campus are all our institutions. It is the responsibility of the government to provide accommodation to all three institutions.
Raja Waqar Ahmed, while speaking, said that the assembly members have no interest in education, they are only working for personal interests. He warned that if any attempt is made to transfer educational institutions, there will be strong resistance, even the institutions can be transferred only after passing through our dead bodies.
There is talk of shifting the university campus to Garhi Dupatta, where these favors are being given for the land of a person of their choice, and the seeds of regional hatred are being sown, Maulana Altaf Siddiqui gave a stern warning and said that if the government does not change its ways, they will go to court with a written complaint along with a protest.
There is severe discrimination in the education system and environment of the three educational institutions. In 2016, a notification was issued for Model Science College and it was inaugurated in the room of the local government office.
A few days later, the staff of Model Science College also requested the inter-college administration to provide temporary roof and they were also provided with limited space.
Raja Waqar Ahmed while talking said that the members of the assembly have no interest in education, they are working only for personal interests.
He warned that if any attempt is made to shift educational institutions, there will be strong resistance, even the institutions can be shifted only after passing through our dead bodies.
