MULTAN, Dec 30: A tussle between two politicians and apathy of the officials concerned have hampered the construction of the Inter Girls College, Arifpura.

The government had sanctioned a grant of Rs2 million to MPA Saeed Qureshi under the Tameer-i-Watn programme for the construction of the college in Kiri Jammanda in 1992-93. A 38-kanal tract was allotted by the Multan Municipal Corporation for the purpose.

The contractor working on the project abandoned it in 1993 as he was not given the money. The local government department did not get the work started again on the plea that it received only 400,000, out of the total amount granted while the government had refused to extend the remaining funds.

In 1995, the scheme was forwarded to the Punjab Director Public Instruction, Lahore, who refused to take any action unless it was handed over to the education department. In a letter to the Assistant Director Local Government (ADLG), he wrote the government released Rs2 million but the amount was misappropriated.

Later, the MMC withdrew its NOC for the tract and pledged that it would provide some other place, although, 25 per cent of the project had been completed.

Allah Yar, resident of the locality, told this correspondent that the project halted owing to the rift between two politicians. He said one of them became MPA and got sanctioned grant for the college while his opponent gaining power in the next elections got the work stopped. His brother became the Mayor and the MMC withdrew the NOC, he added.

A local government officer, on the request of anonymity, told that the released amount of Rs400,000 was not handed over to the contractor who got the 25 per cent of the work completed, not to speak of the remaining funds.

The ADLG claimed he knew nothing about the details as he was recently appointed.

District Education Officer (colleges) Shameem Arif said she was helpless in this regard, adding the completion of project could only be made possible if the elected representative took initiative.

Ironically, the district government is planning to get three girls colleges constructed in Multan, ignoring the work half done for the last nine years.

Residents of the locality have urged the authorities concerned to get the project completed to help hundreds of girls getting education conveniently.