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| RTI petition exposes ED's lethargy | | Fails to construct Mawar school building | | Syed Tahir Bukhari
Baramulla, Mar 2: The Education Department in North Kashmir's Kupwara district has failed to complete the construction of a building at Mawar, Handwara for which a huge amount has been released. This has been revealed by a Right to Information (RTI) application and the department has ordered for a probe. The department was expected to construct the building of a school in the Mawar zone but did not do so. To make matters worse the department has been forced to change the site of construction since irrigation canal was passing through the area. According to the information provided in response to RTI application it has been said that a school building was sanctioned vide order number 18191-18205 dated 22/11/2012 in ward number eight of Bhat Mohalla in Chantipora area of Zone Mawar Tehsil Handwara in Kupwara district. Moreover a work order was also issued in favor of one, Abdul Qareem Bhat, after being recommended by concerned Head Teacher of the School, Sarpanch and Village Education Committee (VEC) of the village. However, the concerned officials have released the money in favor of the contractor constructing the building in ward number nine of the same village. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) primary school was established in 2009 and it continues to function in a rented building. Initially work on the building was started on February 5, 2013 in ward eight and the underground work on plinth was completed as well. However, a local contractor started construction work for the same school in ward nine of the village. Fumed with the move, locals filed a Right to Information (RTI) on January 16, 2014 in ZEO office and sought the information about the school building.The concerned Public Information Officer reply revealed that the education department as per SSA norms stopped the construction work during the month of February. "But the building has not been shifted to any other ward" reads the official reply. However, the ZEO Mawar contradicted his RTI reply and said, "the building was shifted only after the department received an objection from locals, a lady raised some objections in the department, and also the building was not safe at earlier locations," he said. In the meantime, an amount of Rs 3.5 lakhs has been released by concerned ZEO in favor of the construction work started in ward nine. So the building was shifted because of an irrigation canal which was passing through that area. Chief Education Officer (CEO) Kupwara, Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Wani told Early Times wondered why the department accepted the site plan besides the recommendations of VEC and Sarpanch. The CEO said that he was not aware of the exact situation vis-à-vis the construction work on school building in ward nine. "I have constituted a committee regarding the issue. We will investigate the matter thoroughly and will take action against the concerned ZEO, if it is found that there is negligence on his part," said CEO Kupwara. Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Mir Tariq Ali said that since a committee has been constituted the matter would be thoroughly investigated." "The concerned CEO was supposed to get the factual report within a stipulated time and if he fails to do so I will constitute a high level committee and probe the matter within 15 days," said Director School Education |
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