Adil Lateef
Srinagar, Dec 3: More than a year has passed since around three dozen educational institutes were torched in Kashmir but State Government is yet to reconstruct 18 schools which were completely gutted as Planning Department has not released any amount to the Education Department so far.
The arsonists, according to official figures, set ablaze nearly three dozen private and Government schools last year during violent turmoil that was triggered with the killing of militant Burhan Wani in the month of July. The officials said that the first school was set alight in the month of September, 2016 in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district and then such incidents occurred in almost all the districts of the Valley.
While those schools that were partially gutted in blaze incidents have been repaired by the Education Department, the remaining 18 schools which were completely damaged are yet to be reconstructed for the want of funds, said the officials. In August this year, Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) submitted Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Planning Department for release of Rs 7 crore and since then is awaiting the funds for reconstruction.
Sources said that the Planning Department, which is headed by none other Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, had assured early release of funds to the Education Department but around four months have passed, no money has been transferred in this regard. Director School Education Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Itoo confirmed to Excelsior that they have not received any amount from the Planning Department.
“The Planning Department has now agreed to provide an amount of Rs 7-8 crore in revised plan. For revised plan, they will take 8 to 10 days but they have assured to pay us for these schools,” he said, adding: “from our side, all the formalities have been completed and we have long back submitted DPR.”
The State’s High Court in August this year had directed Government to make available funds for reconstruction and repairing of schools burnt down or damaged during last year unrest in Kashmir but the authorities have also ignored these directions and done little on ground.
According to officials of Education Department, they have already repaired other damaged schools through district plan funds and they have been made functional.” At least 5,000 students were affected as a result of burning of three dozen schools in Valley while Rs. 10 crore losses were suffered financially.
As incidents of burning of schools started to gain pace last year, the police initially appeared clueless and failed to identify arsonists but later as many as 47 persons including 5 juveniles were arrested for their alleged involvement and among them, 10 were booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Due to pending reconstruction process, the students who were enrolled in the schools that were burnt are also facing inconvenience as they have been shifted to other schools which are far away from their respective homes but officials of the Education Department insisted that it is a “temporary arrangement”.
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