THATTA: The magnificent structure of the Institute of Business Administration Thatta campus spread over 60 acres and built at a cost of over Rs1 billion has been turned into a warehouse for storing packed food items and relief goods for flood victims and the edifice and other paraphernalia of the university have been left to gather dust and rust.

Members of civil society, workers of social and political organisations and concerned citizens appealed to Sindh chief minister on Thursday to take steps to immediately make the institution functional.

The university’s infrastructure is complete with classrooms, hostels for boys and girls, vice chancellors’ house, colonies for officers and labourers, mosque, administrative block and mess located on Makli-Ghulamullah Road at walking distance from Thatta cement factory.

It was handed over to Sukkur IBA University after the chief minister’s approval in 2021 and the university was scheduled to begin working the same year but for reasons best known to the government functionaries concerned the building was lying idle till day.

Unfortunately, the building’s sheen had dimmed after a large amount of edible items and relief goods were dumped in its rooms, which were still waiting to be supplied to rain victims. Moreover, two mini busses, ambulance, pickups, tractor, trolley and water tanker were also gathering rust at the site.

Local leader of Sindhi Adabi Sangat, Ramzan Memon, district president Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party Syed Jalal Shah, Thatta Shehri Ittehad chief Javed Ali Memon, Qaumi Awami Tehreek leader Shabbir Bhatti and leaders of Porhiyat Muzahemat Tehreek Jabbar Bhambhro, Jast Karnani, Fahad Karnani and others also joined the chorus for opening the IBA Thatta campus for higher studies immediately.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2023