| May 22, 2003 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 19,1424 |
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Governor’s House website
Plight of van commuters
Naming Urdu University
Access to justice
Sources of rivers
Health care concern
RBOD project
KESC at it again
Indo-Pakistan rapprochement
Indian consulate
Exploiting hapless consumers
SHAHAB AFROZ
WHILE supporting the views expressed by Mr Amin Qureshi in his letter on “Private schools’ affairs” (May 15), I would like to add that the basic flaw lies in the “free secondary education policy”. It is most unrealistic in the given circumstances in Pakistan where no government has the will to allocate the financial resources required to support the said policy. It is a country where even Iqra surcharge has been swallowed by false security concerns.
The allocated resources have been too meagre to meet recurring expenditure. Repair and maintenance grants are mostly appropriated by the insatiable lust of the maintenance staff of the PWD. The sincere supervisory cadre in the education department did try initially to identify flaws in the policy but they were gradually replaced by supportive conformists who joined hands in plundering the resources.
Consequently, most of the government schools have been reduced to ruins — sans classroom furniture, sans black colour on the writing board, sans doors and windows, sans electricity, sans water and sans toilets. It has deprived the genuine educationists of the hope to educate through government schools and the children of financially handicapped parents, owing to the incapacities of the only source of standard education at an affordable cost.
The parents who could muster the resources withdrew their children from government schools and the rest were left to rot in the breeding grounds of ignorance and frustration. It has helped the unscrupulous in the private sector to exploit the situation. Thus, unless the root-cause of most of the exploitative practices of private schools is addressed, there is no hope for improvement.
The “free secondary education policy” needs to be reversed immediately. The government should fix fees at least at 150 per cent, if not double, the per child cost of education with the assurance to provide standard education with all the required facilities in the schools. It would not be more than the lowest fee being charged by a reasonably good private school with much smaller classrooms, less paid teachers and no playground as compared to refurbished government schools.
At least 30 per cent of the students who can pay the enhanced fees are likely to return to government schools. The children of parents with lower financial capacity may be allowed fee subsidy accordingly. Localities may be classified according to financial strata and a fee subsidy policy may be evolved for the schools located in various areas. However, equal facilities in all schools should be ensured.
I have very valid reasons to believe that the policy was devised by the privileged class to deprive the poor and the lower middle class of the benefit of an affordable standard secondary education. The objective was to thwart the growth of a sizable healthy middle class with a view to perpetuating the hold of the exploitative land-holding class. The policy has served the vested interest well.
It is time for the middle class and the poor parents to wake up and demand reversal of the “free government secondary school policy.” Quality education at fair price should be demanded from the government instead of expecting corrupt bureaucracy to regulate the private schools. The revival of government schools will force the private sector to fall in line or be eliminated.
S. M. SIBTAIN
Karachi
THE report (April 30) on the launching of the official website for the Governor’s House is indeed welcome and timely. In this age of globalization, the website should be effectively utilized to get Sindh into the global economy.
IT development in Sindh has not much of a track record. Rather than looking for guidance from the ministry of science and technology at the Centre, both the organizations responsible for IT matters — the Sindh IT board and the recently-formed Sindh IT department — should take a leap forward.
The Sindh government is fortunate to have as IT secretary an IT expert with years of development experience who, I am sure, is in the process of preparing a vision for the development of IT, a provincial action plan, liberalization process and regulatory process.
It is critical that the responsibility for implementation of IT in Sindh should be placed in the office of the governor. With the highest political support, as well as with the collaboration of selected business leaders and representatives of civil society, public, private, non-governmental sectors, parliamentarians and special interest groups such as the media, the provincial long- and short-term e-Sindh action plans should be immediately formulated and implemented, setting out an overall framework and strategic priorities over the next decade.
The secretary-in-charge of the IT development strategy must try to combine the efforts of all development shareholders — social, economic and physical — to promote a comprehensive and coordinated use of knowledge for development and to take advantage of ICTs to facilitate information sharing, communication, new applications of technology, and foster democracy and moralization of public life using ICT as a central tool to eradicate corruption.
ICT should be integrated with the policies of the provincial development plans and be directed at raising levels of literacy; improving the delivery of government services, specially health, education and training; and to give isolated rural communities a sense of solidarity and identification with national development goals by creating new opportunities to position Sindh in the global economy, as well as new tools for economic and social development aimed at eradicating poverty.
We foresee the role of the governor as seeking innovative solutions, private-public partnership, etc, which would help bring prosperity and peace to Sindh and make it a model province for utilizing ICT for socio-economic development.
Karachi
ALMOST all modes of public transport have made the lives of the commuters miserable. Along with all other complaints of rash driving, maltreatment with passengers, especially women, over- charging and overloading, I want to draw the attention of the authorities to the vans on route number 47 and 56.
The van on route 47 is meant to start from the general bus stand and to end at Gawala Colony near Rakh Chandrai. The other van, on route number 56, is to start form “Batti Wala Chowk”, ending at Halloki village. But the van operators have divided the routes into three or four sectors and no van completes its route.
The van plying on number 47 starts from Minar-i-Pakistan instead of the bus stand and mostly goes up to Township Market or Moon Market, Allama Iqbal Town. Then it starts from Township Market and goes to Green Town. The van goes up to Halloki. In this way the van operators are grabbing four to five times extra money at the cost of the passengers.
Similarly, the van of number 56 has divided the route into three parts, one is from Bati Wala Chowk to Yateemkhana, other from Yateemkhana to General Hospital and very few are there who move between Gawala Colony and General Hospital.
The authorities concerned are requested to take necessary action to ensure availability of public transports.
ZUBAIR AHMED
Lahore
THIS refers to a letter published these columns (May 13).
The writer has suggested an Urdu translation of the name of “Federal University of Arts and Science” as “Wafaqi Urdu Jamia Baraye Funoon aur Sciences”. According to him, the translation of all the terms except one (science) in the name of the university is available. This is a case of oversight.
The translation of the term ‘science’ is available and commonly used. I would like to remind the writer and the readers of your newspaper that Allama Iqbal while answering a question in a letter to one of his readers wrote that wherever he (Allama Iqbal) had written “Ilm”, he meant science. Both words have the same meaning. Both mean ‘to know.’ So the name of Urdu University can be: “ Waqafi Urdu Jamia Braraye Uloom aur Funoon.
I would, however, prefer ‘Urdu University‘ for the brevity and beauty of the name. There is no need to translate each and every term in Urdu.
SYED AHMED NAQVI
Karachi
The “Karachi Notebook” of May 5 reported on Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid’s talk at the Karachi Gymkhana, which highlighted the endless delays of our justice system.
It is not unusual for retired officials to lament the failures of various aspects of the governance structure. The question is, what did these same officials do when they were in positions of power to do something?
MOHAMMED RAJPAR
Karachi
MR Kuldip Nayar in his column (May 17) informs us that all the three rivers, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, allotted to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty, have their sources located in India.
It is factually incorrect. Of the three, the Chenab’s source lies in India while the Jhelum has its source located in the disputed Kashmir, and the source of the Indus lies on the Tibetan plateau which is a Chinese territory.
Dr QAZI SHAKIL AHMAD
Karachi
MR Ayaz Amir’s advice in “Islamabad Diary” (May 17th) confirming his father’s views that anyone thinking of falling seriously ill “Should not”. It is not an affordable proposition, unless one is a fat cat or better still with the government, worth a thought.
There is no doubt that for a common man, medical treatment is getting out of reach even in rich and advanced countries. The answer lies in health insurance of “organized communities” at all levels. There are many models, and one most successful is the Swiss model of “The Swiss Concern for Health Insurance Societies” (Schweizer-reiches Betriebs Kranken-Kassen Verband — SBK), which provides excellent and equal medical care for all insured.
In Pakistan serious thought should be given to pay the yearly health insurance premium from the Zakat money allotted to the deserving (mustahqeen) to provide them with proper health facilities.
Regarding his views about doctors, there are bad and good doctors. The British team performing upper-lip surgery in Chakwal are noble members of the profession, but there are other British doctors languishing in jails for their crimes and one of them killed more than 200 of his patients.
Our doctors and institutions hold medical camps and serve the poor without blowing their trumpets. For example, Mr Ayaz Amir could check up the work done by the Al-Shifa Eye Hospital of General Jehandad in Afghanistan, Mr Imran Khan’s Shaukat Khannum Memorial Hospital and the free examination of 50,000 schoolchildren for the tuberculosis and lung diseases in Karachi by the Pakistan Anti-Tuberculosis Association.
One may not agree with the writer when he raises Saddam Hussain to the status of another Salahuddin Ayubi, but we the members of the medical profession should question ourselves whether we are observing the Oath of Hippocrates, which gives us a place of honour in our society.
DR A. HAYE SAEED
Karachi
THIS refers to a news item relating to the RBOD project (May 11).
This is a fact that the misery of an affected person starts the moment he loses possession of his land without being paid its compensation. As the delay occurs, he is likely to face more and more problems. According to the law, he is to be paid before handing over the possession of his land. It is the responsibility of the land acquisition collector/ revenue department to measure the land, pass the award and pay compensation before taking over the possession of the land. The process of land acquisition should proceed ahead of the construction so that the affected person is settled well in time.
Practically it does not happen. In most cases funds required for payments are not placed at the disposal of the land acquisition collector by the department concerned in advance.
It is suggested that the development / construction activity should not commence unless the affected persons are compensated according to the law.
HASSAN ZAEEM AFTAB
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news report in the press about the creation of obstacles on account of Rs7 billion outstanding circular debt by the KESC in the ensuing privatiztaion process. This news came within 48 hours of the categorical statement by Privatization Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh that the KESC would be privatized in three months, and all encumbrances would be cleared by May 22, 2003.
This must have displeased the military and the civil bureaucracy; as it has been for almost a decade that the KESC somehow finds a way to put a stop to its privatization process. This time the amount of Rs7 billion is shown as hampering privatization. Compared to the 100s of billions that the government has put in the KESC so far to keep it afloat — even its present losses are Rs1.5 billion a month — the Rs7 billion debt can be recovered by the government by stoppage of the monthly losses of the KESC for four to five months only after its privatization.
In view of the above, it is hoped that the experienced minister of privatisation will not allow himself to be duped by the KESC bureaucracy, as it had been happening in the past. It is urged and expected that the government will put in another Rs7 billion and get rid of the bottomless pit that the KESC has become for a long time.
Only an efficient management by the private sector can not only control the uncontrollable state of affairs in the KESC by the public sector, but the latter can add revenue to the national exchequer, instead of sucking it dry, as the KESC has been doing; to say nothing of the untold misery that the KESC inflicts on its clients — not sparing even patients and students preparing for their exams, for almost eight months in a year.
AMIR ALI ESMAIL
Karachi
IT is apparent that over one billion people and their current leadership of the South Asian region have finally realized the need to address the thorny issues across the table.
The changing situation around the globe may be acting as an incentive for a permanent understanding for rapprochement between the people and their leadership. This is the time to be extra careful, cautious and calculating in addressing all the issues of the subcontinent.
I, as the first secretary of the Kashmir-American mission, plead to all the parties concerned to be supportive of this process of confidence building, reconciliation and conflict resolution. Use “Kashmiriyat” and “insaniyat” and avoid double-talk, collateralizm, grandposturing, personalization, etc. This is a great opportunity for the fundamental benefit of all the people of the region and the world.
COL A. M. KHAJAWALL
Karachi
RELATIONS between Pakistan and India are on the way to becoming normal as the two sides are talking of peace in the region. They have agreed to hold peace talks.
To this end, the two neighours should set up visa facility in every big city to enable the people to visit their relatives in the two countries. Therefore, the visa office at Karachi should be opened immediately.
EHTESHAM ALI
Karachi
ONCE again the prices of electricity and gas have been increased before the budget announcement and without the approval of parliament. The regulatory authorities established by the government on the advice of international monetary organizations are putting pressure on the government not to interfere in their working. The automatic fuel adjustment formula is applied without taking into consideration the buying capacity of the consumers.
Instead of taking measures to privatize and improve the managerial efficiency of Wapda and the KESC, the authorities are bent on increasing the electricity tariff. The easy course to burden the hapless consumers through tariff increase is quite frequently used on one pretext or the other.
The fact is that IMF and World Bank pressure is delaying the approval of $11.7 million sixth tranche, pertaining to poverty reduction and growth facilities, while the World Bank shelved $350 million structural adjustment credit (SAC) III. One of the concerns of the two donors was non-implementation of the financial improvement plan (FIP) of Wapda. They made it known that they would release the new loans if the utility prices are increased. It is not understandable that on the one hand the World Bank and the IMF are providing financial assistance to reduce the poverty level and, on the other, they are putting pressure on the government to suck the last drop of blood of ordinary consumers of gas and electricity.
Nepra (National Electric Power Regulator Authority), which was established on the advice of the IMF and World Bank, is also protecting the interest of private power generation companies instead of caring for the consumers. Hubco remitted over $101 million this year, which is almost 10 times higher than $11.3 million it sent abroad last year. Similarly, Kapco which could not remit profit last year was able to send $73 million to the UK this year. AES Lalpir and AES Pakgen sent $53.524 million and $25.821 million, respectively, while Habibullah Coastal remitted $5 million — all three are US-based companies.
The government also allowed the increase of gas rates by 7.5 per cent enabling Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGPL) for 2002-03 to generate more funds for these companies to meet their increased operational expenses and future expansion projects. The Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), which is another government organization, has set aside the interest of small consumers and bulk consumers such as Wapda, KESC and Aptma having strongly opposed any increase in tariff of SSGC and SNGPL.
One fails to understand that when the gas companies are still owned by the government, what positive role is being played by Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority. It is interesting to note that even the federal planning commission had opposed increases in the rates of gas by SSGC and SNGPL and demanded that both the gas companies should cut down their expenditure instead of relying on repeated increase in gas prices for their financial health.
Owing to the non-existence of a consumer protection rights act at federal and provincial levels, there is no legal remedy available to the general consumer. That is why the government is ignoring the sufferings of the ordinary people by increasing the prices of the utilities every now and then.
ENGR S.T. HUSSAIN
Lahore
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