KHAR: The students of various government educational institutions in Bajaur Agency on Saturday complained about not being provided textbooks by the local education department despite start of the new academic session two weeks ago.

Talking to reporters on Saturday, students said they had been attending schools without books since start of new academic session in the second week of April. They said non-availability of books was causing loss of their precious time.

We had been told by our teachers that free textbooks will be provided to us by second 2nd week of April, but to no avail, Zohib Khan, a student of government primary school in Salarzai tehsil, said.

The pupils said textbooks had already been provided to students of urban areas about two weeks ago.

The unavailability of textbooks in far-flung areas has disappointed us and it showed discrimination of local education department against the students of remote regions,” Najibullah Khan, a student of Barang tehsil, the most backward region of the agency, told reporters.

The students pointed out this was not the first time that provision of textbooks to schools in remote areas had been delayed as same was done last year, too, which had forced the students to take to the roads.

They said the officials of local educational department had promised that preference would be given to

students of hilly areas in distribution of books in the current year, but unfortunately the commitment was not honoured.

When contacted, an official of education department in Khar, admitted to Dawn the delay in provision of textbooks to students in various areas.

He said late supply of textbooks from Peshawar had caused the delay.

However, the official said availability of free textbooks to students across the agency would be ensured at all costs.

PROTEST AGAINST POWER OUTAGE: The people of Khar town on Saturday staged a protest demonstration against the prolonged power loadshedding.

Traders, workers of political parties and social activists participated in the protest organised by the Khar Islahi Jirga.

Carrying banners and placards, the protesters chanted against the officials of the Tribal Electricity Supply Company (Tesco) and management of the local grid station for carrying out prolonged loadshedding in the area.

The speakers expressed concern over suspension of electricity in various areas for the last several weeks, which had created water shortage.

They demanded of the Tesco and administration officials to take notice of the power outages.

They said officials at local grid station were not fixing a fault developed in the grid station several weeks ago.

Meanwhile, an official at the grid station told Dawn that power supply to almost all feeders would remain suspended as the fault was yet to be fixed.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2016