Ageing school buildings

The buildings of a number of government schools in Bahawalpur are in a state of disrepair. Among those, the oldest buildings of the Sadiq Girls High School, Sadiq Dane High School and a girls' high school at Mohallah Kajalpura deserve particular mention for their dilapidated condition.

These buildings were constructed during the defunct state period (of Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi) and have been repaired only once since then. Now these have become a picture of neglect as no repairs have been done for the past several years.

Parents and guardians of students have expressed concern over the poor state of buildings of these institutions. According to them, all their efforts to convince the authorities concerned of the need for improving their (buildings') condition have proved futile.

The Punjab government has provided during the current fiscal Rs150 million to the district government for the repairs of the primary school buildings and provision of other facilities like additional classrooms and furniture over there.

In addition, the district government has arranged from its own budget allocations for the schools' improvement. But these three schools are still being ignored and the parents are extremely worried about the safety of their children.

It is high time that the district government conducts a survey of such old institutions and draw up a comprehensive plan for repairs and renovation to provide better atmosphere to the students.

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The thickly-populated Trust Colony in the city is without the facility of sewerage system in the absence of which the residents are facing numerous problems.

The modern colony lacking the facility has ponds and septic tanks on roads and streets. The sewerage flows on the roads blocking the passage for pedestrians and motorists.

According to some of the locals, the district Nazim had pledged some time ago to provide funds for the purpose, but he has yet to honour his commitment. The demand of the residents is genuine, as their area is in the heart of the city but is neglected for the past many years.

The sewerage system should be laid down in the colony without any delay and people provided with this basic facility. The Bahawalpur tehsil council should also come forward in this matter and impress upon the district Nazim to arrange funds for the project.

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The QABZA group under the patronage of the TMA officials have illegally grabbed the busy road around the local Sabzi Mandi, creating inconvenience for the vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

The road has been occupied in an unauthorized manner by small retailers, who pay teh bazaari to the TMA officials. The girl students of the schools in the vicinity are the worst sufferers.

The general public has demanded vacation of the road for smooth traffic flow and deployment of police officials for girls' movement.

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The exit of the district's five MNAs from Shaukat Aziz's cabinet has once again proved differences among the MNAs of the ruling coalition. Three of the MNAs namely Farooq Azam Malik, Makhdoom Ali Hassan Gillani and Mian Riaz Husain Peerzada are united while Syed Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi is supported by District Nazim Tariq Cheema.

Another MNA, Malik Amir Yar Warren, is also a patriot. Had all these MNAs been together, the district could have been give representation in the federal cabinet.