ISLAMABAD: The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has finalised a plan to purchase security equipment and raise the boundary walls of educational institutions in the city.

“The Public Works Department (PWD) has finalised the cost estimation of the project and we have also completed the paperwork for purchasing the security-related equipment,” said a senior officer of CADD, who requested not to be named. He said the PWD had estimated the cost at Rs460 million. “However, CADD will start the project on an emergency basis with the available budget of 260 million and will also approach the finance ministry for the additional funds,” the officer said.

He said CADD had also prepared a PC-1 of the project but due to the shortage of time work on the security-related arrangements would be started without its approval. A final decision in this regard will be taken in a few days, he said.

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi the education department on Tuesday decided to reopen the 51 schools in the cantonment board area from Wednesday. On Monday, the law enforcement agencies while citing incomplete security arrangements had not allowed the schools to reopen after the extended winter vacation.

“Today, our issue has been resolved and we are going to reopen our schools in the cantonment areas,” said Qazi Zahoorul Haq, the executive district officer (education). He said law enforcement agencies had asked the education department to deploy armed security guards in the schools.

Equipment worth Rs260m may be procured under allotted budget

“We convinced them that we will gradually appoint guards in all the schools. Right now, we are unable to deploy armed security guards in the educational institutions.”

He said the Punjab government had constituted a two-member committee, comprising provincial minister Raja Ishfaq Sarwar and secretary planning and development Waseem Ajmal, to inspect the security arrangements in the 496 sensitive schools in the district. The committee will complete the inspection of the schools by January 21.

Published in Dawn January 14th , 2015

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