HARIPUR: Future of over 200 students of government high school for boys in Mang area here is at stake as the new building constructed about 10 years ago is yet to be made functional due to a monetary dispute between the landowner and the education department.

As a result, students are forced to attend classes in three rooms and a veranda borrowed from a neighbouring primary school.

The old building of the school, built in 1913, was razed in February last year as it failed to accommodate the growing number of students, according to the official record.

A piece of 6.5 kanals of land was acquired in Mang area for the new building along the main Khanpur Road. The land acquisition was done on an oral agreement between then district education officer, late Haider Zaman, and the landowner, Malik Azam Khan, in 2004.

The new 12-room building was constructed at cost of Rs8.6 million in 2012. Under the agreement, the government was to transfer the land, where the old building stood, to the landowner.

When classes were to begin in the new building, the landowner pressed the department for transfer of property rights as per the agreement.

Official sources said when the authorities examined the land record they found the piece of land housing the old building was the property of Haripur District Council, which refused to transfer the property in the name of Malik Azam.

Afterwards, the landowner obtained a stay against the shifting of classes to the new building. However, in 2014, the civil court decided the case, ordering that either the education department pay the landowner at Rs1 million per kanal, or the landowner pay the construction cost, worked out at Rs11.4 million, to the department and own the structure. But the landowner refused.

The education department then challenged the lower court’s order in the high court, praying the landowner be bound to accept the market rate, which was Rs280,000 per kanal.

With the case still pending in the court the new building is exposed to wear and tear.

Meanwhile, according to locals, on the demand of voters, provincial minister Arshad Ayub Khan has got approved Rs48.2 million for constructing another building of the school. However, Malik Zahid, the landowner, had obtained stay order on the premise that the school’s proposed building would occupy his land. However, the stay was vacated about two months ago.

When contacted, DEO Mukhtiyar Jadoon confirmed the lack of planning had caused financial loss to the department. He said search for some spacious building was on to accommodate students till completion of the new building.

Published in Dawn,May 10th, 2022