TIMERGARA: High-achieving students of government colleges in Lower Dir on Tuesday complained they had been ignored for the government’s ‘Stori Da Scholarship Pakhtunkhwa Programme’ for 2013.

In a joint statement, Mohammad Yasin, Kianat Bibi, Mehran Anjum, Asif Khan, Najibullah, Salma Bibi and Salimur Rehman said they had secured top positions in the BISE Malakand intermediate annual examinations 2013 but their names were missing from the list of students, who were given the scholarship. They said the government had offered scholarship in 2011 and 2012 to the students of government schools and colleges, who had secured top positions in the SSC and HSSC examinations.

The students said in 2013, the students of government higher secondary schools were included the scholarship programme, while those of government colleges were ignored.

They said the scholarship was given 10 students in 2011 and the number went up to 20 in 2012. The students said high-achievers in the 2013 SSC and HSC examinations from government high and higher secondary schools were given scholarship but ironically, those of government colleges were ignored.

They demanded that high-achieving students be given scholarship like previous years.

CLERKS BOYCOTT DUTY: The All Pakistan Clerks Association Lower Dir on Monday announced clerks would go on strike in the district on Jan 21 against the district accounts officer for delaying upgradation of their posts.

The announcement was made during a meeting of the association chaired by district president Shair Tajak.

APCA general secretary Mohammad Salim told reporters after the meeting that posts of clerks in other districts had been upgraded but the Lower Dir district accounts officer had been delaying doing so in the district.

Say they secured top positions in intermediate exams but were ignored for govt scholarship programme

He said all offices in the district would remain closed on Jan 21, while clerks would observe a sit-in outside the deputy commissioner’s offices on Jan 26 and 27.

MANSION GUTTED: A mansion was destroyed by a huge fire in Maringai village here early on Tuesday. However, no damage to human life was reported.

The fire, whose cause was not known until night, engulfed the house of Sher Zaman Khan in no time killing 15 cattle and destroying all 10 rooms, Rs1 million cash, five tolas of gold jewellery and other valuables.

The fire tender broke down on the way to the mansion. The people and the police tried in vain to put out fire.

The house owner said he had lost Rs14 million worth of goods in the incident and therefore, the government should compensate him for it.

STUDENT TORTURED: Maulana Fazal Rabi of Munjai village on Tuesday alleged his 11-year-old daughter was hospitalised after the principal of her private school subjected her to severe punishment. He demanded strict action against the principal.

Maulana Fazal Rabi told reporters at the Timergara Press Club that on Dec 13 last year, the school principal forced his daughter to stand outside the classroom for around five hours on a cold day over failure to deposit admission fee though she paid tuition fee regularly.

He said the severe punishment left his daughter’s feet and legs swollen forcing his hospitalisation. The man said he had so far spent Rs150,000 on the daughter’s treatment and that doctors were striving to prevent the amputation of his daughter’s legs.

He demanded that the relevant authorities take strict action against the principal and pay him proper compensation.

Published in Dawn January 21st , 2015

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