KARACHI: Siraj-Ud-Daulah Government Degree College located in the FC Area has been awaiting reconstruction of a major portion of its boundary wall since December, 2016.
The administration of the college through several letters to the director general of colleges, mayor, the executive engineer and education works department, have requested them to reconstruct the boundary wall of the college to ensure security of the students, staff, and valuable equipments, and to avoid use of the college premises for any sort of illegal activities.
The major portion of the boundary wall was demolished by the municipality staff while using heavy machinery to collect garbage from outside the college on Dec 27, 2016.
A letter (reference number SDGC/375-381/2016 to the Director College Education, Karachi Region was written on the very next day of the demolition, on December 28, 2016, informing him about the situation , and requesting action. Another letter (reference number: SDGC/382-388/2017 was sent to the Executive Engineer, Education Works Department on January 2, 2017, but both these letters could not get attention. The Executive Engineer was reminded through another letter (reference number: SDGC/394-400/2017) on Jan 19, 2017, but this too fell on deaf ears.
Professor Shahid Iqbal, the principal of Siraj-Ud-Daulah Government Degree College has informed that people have turned the college premises into a dumping place. To add insult to injury the municipal department has allocated a 1,000 square-yard land for a garbage dumping site in front of the college’s main entrance. After its completion, the environment will become unbearable for the students and the college staff for the continuation of academic activities at the college.
A staff member said that a body was found dumped in the college premises in 2013. He feared that any negligence on the part of the authorities may lead to a similar situation as in the absence of boundary wall the criminal elements can use the college premises at night.
Wajihuddin, a member of the academic staff at the college said that the college location makes it a target of discrimination on political and ethnic grounds, as there has been influence of the student wing of the MQM here .That is why, when the Karachi operation started, staff of the college was also put under scrutiny on various occasions.
Now as the law and order has improved in the city the enrolment of students has increased to around 1500 at the college.
Professor Dr Fahim, a senior faculty member expressed disappointment over lack of funds being provided to the college despite the fact that enrolment has increased manifold at the institution.
He emphasized that funds and budgets should be allocated on the basis of enrolment of students at colleges. He also pinpointed the shortage of teachers at the college.
There is no facility for extra-curricular activities at the college for the students, he added.
The students at the college have complained of lack of facilities, absence of teachers and cleaning staff, and closure of the library.
Arsalan, a student of first year (pre-medical) said that bushes should be removed from the college premises.
The college administration and academics have raised concerns over the neglect, and cited political discrimination as a reason for this, though a letter (reference number SGDC 390/2017) sent on 12 January, 2017 to Rehan Hashmi, the elected chairman of District Municipal Corporation, central, has also not been followed by any response. “Rehan Hashmi has not yet responded to the requests for a meeting by the college administration”, Prof Shahid
Iqbal said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Amir Ahmed Khan, an activist of the Pakistan Movement, had set up the college in 1964. He named his college after Siraj Ud Daulah, for his role in fight against Britons during the war of independence.