November 07, 2006	Tuesday	Shawwal 14, 1427

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TOBA TEK SINGH, Nov 6: The Government Fareed Bakhsh Ghausia Degree College is fast falling apart owing to a host of reasons, especially shortage of human and material resources.

Established by the late Dr Fareed Bakhsh, a philanthropist, at Pirmahal in 1908 as a private primary school, the institution made its mark early and attracted a good number of students. In 1942, it was upgraded to the degree level and at that time it was the only rural-area college of Punjab having a hostel facility for the students.

In recognition of his services, Dr Fareed was awarded the title of “Sir Sayyid of Punjab” and delivered an honorary sword by the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah at his public meeting at Lyallpur Dhobi Ghat in 1942.

During the past 98 years, thousands of students have got education from this institution which is now in dire straits. Information gleaned by Dawn reveals that no funds have been provided to the college for the last many years for the reconstruction or renovation of its historic hostel building which is now assuming the shape of rundown structure.

On the academic front, the students attend their classes sitting on floor mats in the absence of furniture. The lecturers, too, face hardships because there is no staff room for them.

No better than junkyards are the laboratories which also lack the furniture, nor is there the required staff or science teacher who can improve the situation. Overall, some 18 posts of lecturers of different subjects have been lying vacant for the last many years.

The transportation problem, unavailability of lavatories and drinking water cause a great deal of inconvenience to the teachers and the taught.

The once well-furnished library which has a stock of 11,000 books now lacks a reading room and furniture.

The students and teachers of the neglected institution told this correspondent during a visit to the institution that the local parliamentarians paid no heed to their repeated requests to improve the lot of the college.

The teachers, however, believe that the recent visit of a district education monitoring force team may pave the way for amelioration.