Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The planned renovations of the federal educational institutions not seeming to be completed till the fixed time frame of August 8, despite Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has forwarded the PC-I to Ministry of Planning and Reforms, Daily Times learnt from reliable sources.

Initially Rs 3179 million has been requested in the proposed project for the official nod of the Planning Commission. The Ministry (planning commission) would review the proposal after obtaining formal approval from Public Sector Development Program (PSDP),Central Development Working Party (CDWP) or Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) the most renown authorized bodies for the development projects approval.

In the proposed PC-I around 195 colleges and schools would be upgraded in respect of lifting their walls, enhancing security system, provision of clean drinking water, purchase and overall renovation of the institutional infrastructures.

An official in the CADD on the condition of anonymity said that like earlier, these practices are not more than paper work. The authorities are not serious to convert tall claims into reality, he added.

The time frame for proposed PC-I is also unknown. When asked the Director Planning and Development (P&D) Taj Bhatti , he declined to speak. He, however said that the FDE just prepared initial draft for the project. Further process in concern of CADD and hope it would be approved soon, Bhatti added.

Earlier in May, the authorities in the CADD and Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) had decided to include 70 classrooms in 15 of the ‘transformed and remodeled’ schools during summer vacations. But unfortunately this was not materialized so for, the sources revealed.

However, the sources said that recently the FDE tabled a fresh request to the CDA desiring the construction of classrooms by August 30, but they said that in this case the study of students may suffer due to construction work as the schools/ colleges in across capital are going to reopen on 8 August. It is pertinent to mentioning here that not a single student got any of the top positions in matriculation examinations recently announced results of FBISE. “The performance of teachers and students can be observed by this result”, regretted the official.

He quoted the example of 22 schools’s up-gradation which almost completed on the early basis with in stipulated time frame.

Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) overseeing 422 schools and colleges established in both in rural and urban areas of the capital. According to the details, in December last year, the FDE has planned to modernize 22 out of the 422 schools being functioned in the city under the Prime Minister’s Education Reform Program.

The sources in the FDE said that large part of the project has been completed but much more have to do yet in the said schools. Maryam Nawaz was assigned to personally monitor the PM Reform Program. The project of up-gradation of 22 schools was handed over to Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Despite repeated attempts, both Secretary CADD Hassan Iqbal and Additional Secretary Malik Qaiser Majeed could not be approached for comments on the matter.