Karachi:Some 2,648 educational institution buildings have been in “deplorable” condition for the last nine years, risking the lives of 249,583 students, disclosed Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq.

The minister blamed this “sorry state of affairs” solely on the devolution plan, claiming that 333 schools and one college in Karachi, where 40,266 students are studying, are in

apathetic condition.

Answering a volley of supplementary questions by MPAs during Sindh Assembly session on Friday, Haq said that he would have liked to make further startling disclosures on the issue, but it would “cause an alarm” in the House. He said it was because of this reason that the PPP had raised the issue before the Core Committee that schools should be given back to the provincial government.

He said that the number of dilapidated buildings could be higher since local government authorities did not give him reliable figures, adding, he has ordered an inquiry into the matter. Replying to a question by Humera Alwani, the education minister did not explain as to whether the government has any plan to shift the students of such schools to safer places.

He, however, said that Rs100 million have been given to each district under World Bank’s project to repair the buildings but so far only 16 out of total 22 districts have made some efforts to utilize these funds.

When Humera Alwani, quoting a report of a private TV channel, said that around 500 school buildings in Dadu were in dilapidated condition, while the list provided by the minister revealed only 16 such schools, the education minister said that he had ordered an inquiry into it and would submit a report to chief minister Sindh for taking action against the officials who provided him wrong details.

PPP’s Sattar Rajpar said that around 156 schools were in dilapidated condition in his Naushehroferoz constituency, adding, an intermediate college building was in dilapidated condition while the roof of a higher secondary school for girls has collapsed.

Haq admitted that information about several districts was not “reliable” and said that when he came to know this he called an emergent meeting of the education officials. Responding to a question by Dr Ahmed Ali Shah, the minister said that he got vacated a historic school in Nausheroferoz from a Mukhtiarkar who had constructed shops inside it.

When Kalsoom Chandio said that animals and fertilizers were being kept at the schools in Dadu, Haq said that the local governments were responsible for it. He said that out of Rs100 million, the Hyderabad government did not spend a single penny to repair 71 schools there. Replying to a question by Dr Sikandar Mandhro, the education minister said that all the districts had been given equal funds on the World Bank directions.

PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi said that when the education minister has doubts about the figures, why he provided these wrong details to the House, Haq said that he wanted to expose the “benefits” of the devolution plan.

Responding to a question by Humera Alwani, Haq said that most of the complaints received against private schools include: enhancement in tuition fee, “illegal activities” by school management, complaints regarding admission, tuition fee charged for vacation period i.e. June and July from matriculation students, etc. Haq said that there exist a total of 11,669 shelter-less schools, adding, around 5,639 schools were lying closed.The news