GILGIT, May 27: Two degree colleges for girls will be constructed at Hunza and Skardu in Northern Areas at a cost of over Rs31 million this year, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

Of the total allocation, Rs20 million would be spent on Skardu Girls Degree College and Rs11.25 million on Hunza Degree College. The two projects were approved in the last annual development plan by upgrading the girls intermediate colleges.

Site for the Hunza college was selected by a board on Tuesday. The site board comprising Northern Areas Legislative Council member from Hunza, Wazir Baig, secretary of education Jamil Ahmed, director of colleges, Chaudhry Saeed Akbar, assistant chief planning and development Feroz Khan and assistant commissioner Hunza, Abdul Hameed Khan, approved the site for Hunza college.

The committee directed the PWD authorities and the AC to purchase the 10-kanal land and start construction work. The secretary also asked them to maintain the natural beauty and topographical environment of Hunza while constructing the building.

Mr Ahmed also emphasised the need of strengthening of existing institutions rather than opening new ones. The principal of the college, Yasmin Ali, briefed the board about the under-construction intermediate college project.

The first tranche of Rs1 million has already been released for the purchase of the land and the second instalment would be released from the ADP for the year 2004-05, the sources added.

Earlier, the secretary of education speaking at a prize distribution ceremony at the Boys Secondary School, Karimabad and urged the teachers to enhance their skills and status.

Teachers not only teach but they are books in themselves by virtue of their character and knowledge, he added. This was the first school in the area set up during the British rule in 1912.